CORAL GABLES — The Hurricanes survived a 10-minute shooting drought thanks to a stellar second-half performance by guard Bensley Joseph.
The junior guard scored 14 second-half points to lead Miami (15-7, 6-5 ACC) to an 82-74 comeback win over Virginia Tech (13-9, 5-6 ACC) at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables on Saturday afternoon. It is Miami’s fourth straight win over Virginia Tech.
The Hurricanes battled back and made it a one-possession game, trading the lead with the Hokies in the game’s final minutes. A Kyshawn George and-1 put Miami up by four points with 1:55 left in the game, and the Hurricanes never surrendered the lead.
The Hurricanes held the lead for the early part of the game, shooting 70 percent in the game’s under-12-minute media timeout. But then UM went ice-cold from the field. Miami did not make a field goal for the final 8:21 of the first half. In that time, the Hokies went on a 16-3 run. Virginia Tech held the lead for more than half of the game on Saturday.
Miami did not get another basket from the field until 2:25 into the second half. By that point, UM trailed 40-32. The Hurricanes shot 45 percent from the field on Saturday and 44 percent from three-point range.
The Hurricanes got some momentum in the second half, pushing back ahead of the Hokies on a Bensley Joseph three-pointer with 6:47 left in the game. Joseph’s 14 second-half points helped lead Miami to its comeback win.
The Hurricanes have been battling nagging injuries all season, but they started their best five Saturday. Guard Matthew Cleveland returned to the lineup after missing two games with a hip injury. But the injury bug made a quick appearance early in the game. About two minutes into the game, guard Wooga Poplar, who had been recovering from a sprained ankle, hobbled off the court. Luckily for UM, he returned quickly.
Miami hopes that a healthier lineup will lead to more consistent play in a grueling February schedule. The Hurricanes go on the road to face Virginia on Monday before hosting North Carolina next weekend.