In the end, one team had Tre Donaldson, and the other did not.
And that was the difference.
On a night filled with obstacles for Miami men’s basketball, Donaldson’s late-game takeover and career-high 32 points dragged the Hurricanes through a gauntlet of adversity and into a gritty 67-66 win over Virginia Tech.
Leading scorer Malik Reneau was out for a large portion of the game with a migraine and hardly contributed. Three out of five of Miami’s starters were banged up prior to tip-off. The team shot a meager 44% from the field and were only 25% from beyond the arc.
But none of that mattered when UM’s point guard was on the court.
With the squad struggling on offense, the veteran senior guard with NCAA Tournament pedigree stepped up when he was needed most, scoring all of Miami’s final 15 points down the stretch.
In total, Donaldson finished with 24 of the Canes’ 36 second-half points. No other player scored more than four after halftime.
The Hurricanes (21-5, 10-3 ACC) jumped out to a 12-5 lead through dominating in the paint early on, once again creating success on the offensive glass and on the transition after forcing turnovers.
However, the Hokies (17-10, 6-8 ACC) battled back, launching a 7-0 run to even the score after a few key substitutions made by the Canes led to defensive vulnerabilities near the rim.
The teams traded blows back-and-forth before Virginia Tech grabbed a 34-31 advantage entering the break behind 46% shooting from deep.
It remained wire-to-wire throughout the last 20 minutes.
Without Reneau for much of the second half, UM was forced to rely on several of its other key contributors in Ernest Udeh Jr., Dante Allen, and Shelton Henderson, who each logged extended minutes.
Allen closed out with double figures, notching 10 points on the night while Udeh added a game-high nine rebounds. Both provided a significant impact in the extra action they saw.
But in the final seven and a half minutes, it was all Donaldson.
Trailing 66-63 with 1:18 remaining, the Tallahassee native nailed a pull-up jumper from the top of the key to bring the Canes level.
Excluding the captain, the Canes shot a combined 1-for-9 from three-point range as a team. Donaldson went 3-for-7 alone from the same distance.
Then, in the chaotic minute that followed, both teams missed crucial opportunities to go back in front, highlighted by Tru Washington failing to convert a driving layup on a fast break opportunity.
Fortunately for Miami, Donaldson once again took command, rising to the occasion in the most decisive moment of the evening.
The former Big Ten and SEC guard drew a defensive foul with 12 seconds left and then drilled the go-ahead bucket from the free throw line to seal the win for the Hurricanes.
With the victory, Jai Lucas now has the most wins ever for a Miami men’s basketball first-year head coach.
The ACC Coach of the Year frontrunner was effusive with praise for Donaldson’s experience and composure on the big stage.
“He willed us to it,” Lucas said after the game. “And that’s what senior guards who have been in big moments, and why you bet on guys’ pedigree, of guys who won state championships, conference championships, and played in big games for moments like this.”
Udeh, on the other hand, was not as surprised with the guard’s career-high performance as others.
“He was unconscious,” Udeh said. “I’m sitting there in the dunker, I’m seeing the shots go in. From my standpoint, it’s not like, ‘Oh wow.’ It’s Tre. I know what he’s capable of.
“I’m blessed to be able to call him my point guard night in and night out,” he said. “He’s always in the gym, first one there, last one out, extra reps all the time. So him making that shot — it’s Tre.”
Miami will aim to extend their four-game win streak on Saturday afternoon in a road clash at No. 14 Virginia (22-3, 10-2 ACC). Tip-off in Charlottesville is set for 2 p.m on ESPN2.
