Miami remains winless in ACC in loss to Virginia

Freshman guard Divine Ugochukwu of the Miami Hurricanes defends from the hoop from the Cavliers at UM Men's Basketball game vs the Virginia Cavaliers at the Watsco Center on January 29, 2025. Photo Credit: Heather Suarez, Contributing Photographer

Coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to California, the Miami Hurricanes returned home to face the Virginia Cavaliers in another ACC matchup at the Watsco Center. The result was the same, as Miami fell 82-71, suffering their 10th straight loss on the season.

Early in the contest, the Hurricanes looked determined to win their first ACC game of the season, with five different players scoring to give Miami a 14-9 lead early. However, Virginia fired back with a 14-0 run, knocking down four straight three-pointers to give it a 23-14 lead with seven minutes to go in the half. 

Senior Brandon Johnson was able to weather the storm for a bit, knocking down his second three-pointer of the night to stop the run. But the Cavaliers continued to score efficiently, notching a 13-point lead before a late bucket from senior Matthew Cleveland cut the deficit to 11 going into the half at 40-29. 

Senior guard Matthew Cleveland shooting a shot in the air during the UM Men’s Basketball game vs the Virginia Cavaliers at the Watsco Center on Jan. 29, 2025. Photo Credit: Heather Suarez, Contributing Photographer

Out of the break, Miami once again looked determined, cutting the lead down to three at 47-44 with the help of scoring from four different Hurricanes. Freshman Austin Swartz knocked down a pair of three-pointers to play a key role in keeping Miami within striking range, but the Hurricanes could not close the gap and failed to lead at any point during the second half.     

It was the passing and the off-ball movement of the Cavaliers that posed the most challenges for Miami. Virginia’s Isaac McKneely and Taine Murray combined for 46 points on 17-of-29 shooting from the field, draining 10-of-18 shots from behind the arc, which proved to be too much for the Hurricanes. Sophomore Blake Buchanan dominated the paint, recording 16 points and nine rebounds. The Cavaliers shot 45.8% from beyond the arc as a unit, in comparison to just 31.6% by Miami. Unforced errors were also key in the loss, with Miami turning the ball over 11 total times in the contest.   

The University of Miami’s Spirit Squad performing during the UM Men’s Basketball game vs the Virginia Cavaliers at the Watsco Center on January 29, 2025.

Cleveland poured in 27 points to give him his eighth 20-point game of the season and to lead all players in points. Johnson was the only other Hurricane to reach double figures, totaling 13 points of his own, going 4-of-8 from the field to record his second-straight 10-point game of the season. 

Miami looks to end their 10-game losing streak on Saturday when it hosts the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Watsco Center at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN2.