VT Vs Miami Game Thread 58-76 Final

No longer undefeated in the ACC, Miami still leads the league but can't look past a potentially favorable matchup in its next contest to a weekend date with its closest pursuer.

The fifth-ranked Hurricanes hope to bounce back from their first defeat in almost two months and continue their recent success against visiting last-place Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.
Riding a 14-game winning streak and sporting its highest-ever ranking, then-No. 2 Miami (22-4, 13-1) shot 39.1 percent and never found a rhythm during Saturday's 80-65 road loss to a sub-.500 Wake Forest team. The Demon Deacons shot 54.2 percent -- the highest versus Miami this season -- and led by double digits the entire second half.
"Overall, we weren't prepared before the game and they came out and punched us in the mouth," guard Shane Larkin said.
"You want to go undefeated, you want to win every game, but you're still in first place. (The loss is) in the past and we're just going to let it stay in the past."
The Hurricanes hold a two-game lead over third-ranked Duke with four remaining. Miami will try for a third straight win over the Blue Devils on Saturday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but first must rebound against Virginia Tech (12-15, 3-11).
"I think you learn from every game," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. "Some good things and some bad things, whether you win or lose. After a loss we will see how this team responds. We need to be together and we weren't very together (Saturday). We need to execute better and we are going to need to play a lot harder than we did.
"The first thing is we've got to get ready for Virginia Tech. That's our focus right now."
While the Hurricanes should be motivated, they hope they're not losing steam. Miami's last three wins were decided by six or fewer points and it has failed to score 70 in its last three overall after topping that mark in each of the previous seven.
Miami has won two straight and four of five against the Hokies, who led by 12 before the Hurricanes went on a 22-6 run spanning halftime in a 73-64 victory Jan. 30. Larkin scored 25 and hit a season-high five 3-pointers in his matchup with Virginia Tech star guard Erick Green.
The top scorer in the nation with 25.2 points a contest, Green scored 30 and also made five 3-pointers.
"These are the (most fun) games, playing against the best players in the nation." Larkin said after that meeting. "Erick Green is definitely one of those guys.
"I love playing against the best players and when they're doing good, I want to do just as well as them."
Green scored 26 and added five assists to help Virginia Tech snap a nine-game slide with an 80-70 win over Florida State on Sunday.
Miami has won nine straight ACC home games and Virginia Tech is on a four-game league road skid.
Larkin, Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson combined for 40 points in a 65-49 home win over Virginia Tech last Feb. 9.

	VT	MIA
W-L	12-15	22-4
Avg Points	71.2	68.7
Avg Points Allowed	74.1	59.2
Home Record	9-7	12-0
Road Record	2-7	10-2
Current Streak	W1	L1

 

Big Reg has been making some very good decisions today.

 

18-33 1:52 to go

 

I think this team blew their wad on the UNC game. I hope I'm wrong but we have looked just awful since.

Teams adjusted and we have struggled ever since. I think it was Clemson who hedged our pick n roll, took away Larkin and since then every team has tried to do the same. Coach L has to adjust and make something happen.

This. Larkin needs to grow the ability to cut inside the hedge and cut to the hole, leaving a big man outside the 3 point line while he is at the free throw line or driving.

Agreed. But I think it's hard for him, because he's small of stature and can get tracked down by dudes, even from behind. It's definitely something he will need to work on over the coming off-season.

 

Defense has been lights out

 

did I mention college basketball makes me hate white people

What?

any good white basketball plays look ******* goofy and Idk i just wanna punch em in the face

 

Um could you make that call any later ref?

 

 

LMAO@ Rion Brown passing the ball out with 6s on the shot clock. He needs to visit the Wizard to find his heart, because he doesn't have one right now.

 

Larkin's range is so deadly

 

Baller!

 

Good half

 

TMJ! my boy.

 

Erick Green has been shut down, and I think that hip injury is really going to be bothering him. Glad we made a few of those threes to end the half.

For every analyst complaining about refs not fouling players out, this is the poster game for calling it tightly but fairly.

Nice finish by TMJ to the half with the slick putback. In 21, Kadji just had his score dropped to 0.

 

Good way to end the half! Defense has looked fantastic and the FTs are dropping. Started slow, but overall a very solid 1st half!

 

 

Everybody take a deep breath, the guys played that great defense we've seen all season and fought through poor shooting in other ways. We'll need this composure against the Fightin' K's.

 

we murkin

 

Great last 6-7 minutes of the half, turned it around with free throw shooting especially. Defense has been lights out. I dont think anyone liked that 10 minute stretch without a field goal, but wow, what a turnaround.

 

good way we ended the half. we looked like we did back against unc in that stretch. we need to look that from here on out going into march madness

 

good way we ended the half. we looked like we did back against unc in that stretch. we need to look that from here on out going into march madness

We didn't look as good as we did against UNC. We crushed UNC. Shot lights out beyond belief to run away with that game. This is becoming a really good performance and is far more indicative of what we got used to over that 6 game stretch including 4 home 22+ point wins. This is way, way better.

We don't even have to play this well heading to the tourney, if we do we'll lock down a 1 seed without a doubt. So long as we find that drive and desire in the tourney, we could make big, big noise.