Virginia Stops Skid, Tops Miami On Senior Night

Virginia has won 12+ ACC games for four straight seasons.
Sam Hauser led Virginia with 18 points. ~ Photo courtesy Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

On the first day of a new month, the Virginia basketball team left its late February losing streak behind and got back on the winning track with a 62-51 against Miami on Monday. The Cavaliers lost three straight games in February for the first time in four years so to get a victory on Senior Night as a way to kick off March brought some needed relief.

UVA is now 16-6 overall and 12-4 in the ACC, which clinched a top four finish in the conference once again. The Wahoos have won 12 or more ACC games for four straight years.

“This is a shout out to the fans. We’ve worked so hard to establish this atmosphere, they’ve supported us with their energy. We had a real good record this year at home, but oh is it different,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “It’s this way for everyone but this place has become special and special for all of us and I missed that. I so wish Sam Hauser could have experienced that. Senior Night is for the fans to show their appreciation for the young men that have been in this program for whether it’s two years, five years in Jay [Huff’s] case, four years for Austin [Katstra] and all those guys. The [pregame] videos were great. Ronnie [Wideman] and the people, whoever put them together, did a great job. That part was good but it’s just different. This crowd at times wills us to play harder, which is needed for this group and it just kind of motivates you and it shouldn’t always be that way but I’ll tell you, they’ve done that for us, time and time again. That part is missing but especially on Senior Day so that’s my biggest regret of this season. It’s just not the same but as the saying goes, it is what it is and so we do it.”

The Hoos got some production from three seniors in the starting lineup on their night for recognition. Sam Hauser keyed the offense once again with 18 points that included 4-of-9 shooting from 3-point range. That featured 3-pointers late in both halves as he made back-to-back shots from distance in the final 1:38 of the first half to help build a 41-30 halftime lead and then added one with 1:33 to go in the game that snuffed out any flickering hopes for Miami. Hauser added 6 rebounds, 2 blocked shots, 1 assist, and 1 steal too.

Fellow fifth-year senior Jay Huff had a more up-and-down night, but he still finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and a blocked shot despite shooting 2-10 and spending some extended time on the bench in both halves. Tomas Woldetensae, the third senior in the starting lineup, recorded 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist. UVA’s fourth senior Austin Katstra got a late-game cameo as well. Managers Matt Palumbo and Carter Furr were recognized in the pregame ceremony as well.

The seniors did not get the benefit of the traditional appreciative atmosphere of a Senior Night nor share the court pregame with their parents, but they did get the win and that’s something they have grown accustomed to at Virginia. The Cavaliers closed the season with just one home loss at the John Paul Jones Arena. Bennett’s teams are 10-2 all-time on Senior Night at UVA.

“Fans or no fans, we got to win tonight,” Hauser said. “My family was here to see me play. We played well as a team and I couldn’t ask for much more. It would be great if the fans could be here in order to get the full experience. It is what it is, we can’t control that, but I’m just glad we were able to get on the winning side of things. Hopefully we can take a step here.”

While the win did feature some production from the starting seniors, the story of the game was a solid night from key underclassmen in support roles around Hauser, Huff, and Kihei Clark. The trio of Trey Murphy III, Reece Beekman, and Justin McKoy combined for 24 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals.

In Murphy’s case, he remained in a starting role and got back to double-digit scoring for the first time since the FSU game. He posted 12 points with a pair of 3-pointers and 4-4 shooting at the free throw line. He also added 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists to the winning cause. Beekman chipped in 4 points and 4 assists, but he also helped deter Miami’s Isaiah Wong from a big scoring night. Beekman covered Wong for much of the first half and early in the second half. Wong ended up with 10 points on 3-13 shooting with 2 assists and 4 turnovers.

Virginia is 16-6.
Justin McKoy provided a jolt off the bench for the Hoos. ~ Photo courtesy Matt Riley/Virginia Athletics Media Relations

McKoy, meanwhile, injected some much needed energy into the game. The hosts trailed 11-10 when he first checked in at the 14:55 mark of the first half and they still faced a 15-12 deficit when McKoy rattled off a 6-0 run on his own. The Hoos led 31-28 later in the half when he returned from a break to make a flurry of key plays again. McKoy grabbed a defensive rebound, scored on a layup, got a steal, and set a screen that got Hauser free for one of his late-half 3’s in that 2:36 of action. The play of McKoy powered much of UVA’s 20-2 advantage in bench points against a depleted Miami roster.

“My role is bringing energy and effort all the time,” McKoy said. “Just playing the right way, scoring, rebounding all those things that people like. Energy and effort, I think are the biggest things. I’ve been through a lot this season and I was unhappy with some of the results I was getting, but at the same time these coaches told me to stay ready, and to stay positive. Believing in them wholeheartedly was a big part of it.”

“I love it. I love his heart and his energy. It’s that way in practice,” Bennett said. “He started earlier in the year and then he’s gone through a patch where he didn’t play as much, but his work ethic and his effort has never wavered. He injected offensive rebounding, a couple of buckets, and just toughness and effort. That was so lacking, so it was really important. That’s what this team needs and he brought that. I like what I saw on him really the last couple games and then some more in practice. I was really happy for Justin and his contributions to this game and hopefully moving forward.”

Virginia’s defense hit a rough patch of its own for part of the first half as the Hurricanes rattled off several easy drives, but then found some sure footing for much of the game. That reversed the trend during the three-game losing streak in February when the Wahoos didn’t string together stops with any consistency. Florida State, Duke, and NC State each shot 45% or better to help overcome the Hoos. Against Miami, however, UVA allowed 38.5% shooting overall and 26.7% shooting from 3-point range.

In addition to keeping Wong’s point total down, Anthony Walker finished with 8 points on 3-10 shooting. Kameron McGusty led the visitors with 14 points on 6-11 shooting, while Elijah Olaniyi added 10 on 5-12 shooting. The Hurricanes did manage 26 points in the paint, however, so there remains work to be done as the postseason approaches. The Cavaliers expect to finish the regular season schedule on Saturday at Louisville.

Miami never really threatened after the surge late in the first half from UVA, but it did get within 6 points on several occasions in the second half. The Hoos managed to resist those rallies and took that as a good sign after the late February swoon.

“I think when the game got close, I think that’s when we really came together and showed some resilience and toughness, which we hadn’t in the last few games,” Hauser said. “So I think it was a good stepping stone for our team and hopefully we can just keep getting better going into Saturday.”

Final Stats

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  1. We’ll take it, and thankful. But we’re going to need to be a LOT better, if we want to have any chance for post-season success.

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