After a crucial mistake and close foul call at the end of regulation let Miami force overtime with three free throws, Virginia’s Justin Anderson made sure to make amends when the Cavaliers needed it most. Anderson scored six points in the final 20 seconds of overtime and No. 3 UVa used the second extra session to leave Miami with an 89-80 win.
It gave the Hoos their first ever victory at Miami as they improved to 13-0 on the season.
“We really broke down and we’ve got to keep fighting our ability to lock in and focus and be sound and not be unsound in those [critical] spots. To look in their eyes and feel that feeling ‘this is going to overtime, are you kidding me?’ and then to see them show the resiliency, that part certainly was needed,” Cavalier coach Tony Bennett said on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. “Justin felt bad, felt down – not sure if it was a foul or not, we’ll look at it – but then he made a clutch shot. To be able to do that takes some toughness.”
With Virginia clinging to a 63-60 lead after watching an 18-point halftime advantage wither away, the Hurricanes pushed the ball up the floor with a final chance to tie. Point guard Angel Rodriguez planted near the top of the key and tried to fire a 3-pointer when Anderson rose up to block the shot. His arm came down toward the ball and and forearm of Rodriguez, drawing a whistle from the official. Rodriguez made all three free throws to force overtime.
In the first extra period, the roles were reversed. This time, Miami held the lead in the final 30 seconds when Anderson drew a shooting foul on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws with 20 seconds remaining. That pulled the Hoos to within a single possession even after Rodriguez made a pair of free throws. Then with 15 seconds to go, Anderson sank a pull-up triple to tie the game and force five more minutes of basketball.
Anderson, who finished with 16 points, said he had to refocus for the first overtime.
“It was a new game, it was a new five minutes, and I think that’s what I had to tell myself,” Anderson told reporters when asked about the end of regulation and overtime. “I had to say, ‘Hey, five more minutes to play our type of basketball and get back in the groove’ and I think we did a great job with that.”
While Anderson came through with some huge plays in the final moments of the first overtime, point guard London Perrantes shouldered the offensive load down the stretch to keep Virginia in the game initially and then to put the game away late. Perrantes hit a pair of 3-pointers and two free throws in the final 2:08 of regulation to match a late barrage by Rodriguez, who had 10 points in the final three minutes. Without those points to save the day, the Cavaliers may have folded before overtime ever arrived. Before Perrantes came through with those eight points, Virginia had scored only 16 points in the first 18 minutes of the second half.
The sophomore guard was far from finished. He made nine free throws and dished out a pair of assists in the second overtime to help the Wahoos finally secure the win. In the end, Perrantes posted a career-high 26 points to go with 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 45 minutes of playing time. He had knocked down only 5 of 21 triples this season before he went 5-of-9 shooting outside the arc Saturday. Perrantes made a trio of treys in the first 16 minutes of the game to help Virginia sprint out to a 38-20 halftime lead before turning on the offensive firepower late.
With Malcolm Brogdon on the bench with 8 points and 5 fouls after 26 minutes of action, the Cavaliers needed that type of performance from Perrantes.
“He actually told Malcolm in the locker room after the game ‘I just wanted my nine points and for us to get the game,’” Anderson told reporters with a smile. “But man that went from 9 to 26 really fast. He just felt it. His jumpshot was on and he said for some reason every time he gets into ACC play, his jumpshot feels that much better. We’re just happy he gave us what he gave us.”
Perrantes made a similar splash in the ACC opener last season. After going 7 for 25 from long range prior to conference play last season, he hit 3 of 5 triples for 14 points in a 62-50 win in the league opener at Florida State. He went on to make 21 of 41 3-pointers in ACC play.
“I’ve had some people tell me that’s it’s after the New Year, that it’s always after the New Year that I seem to come out and start playing,” Perrantes said with a chuckle on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. “I feel like it’s a testament to the extra work I’ve been putting in over the break. Outside of school, I don’t have anything else to do but be in the gym. Me, Malcolm, and Justin have been getting in extra work, extra jumpshots, and it’s starting to fall. So I’ve got my confidence back and we’re ready for ACC play.”
The Cavaliers got solid performances from Mike Tobey and Darion Atkins as well. Tobey chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds, while Atkins delivered 8 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. That helped counter a slower night for Anthony Gill, who had 6 points and 6 rebounds on 1-of-6 shooting. Freshman Marial Shayok also came through with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocked shots. Shayok provided a big boost after Brogdon fouled out as he took over the defensive assignment on Rodriguez for the majority of the overtime periods.
“We had some mishaps and Malcolm got into foul trouble and some people weren’t playing as well, but we had people step up,” Perrantes said on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. “Marial was big for us. Justin was big for us. Darion was big for us. It’s just next man up for us. That’s how deep we are and I feel like that helps us a lot.”
