Miami Hurricanes Hold Off Virginia Tech Hokies 67-66 Behind Tre Donaldson's 32 Points

The Miami Hurricanes, led by Tre Donaldson's 32 points, managed to hold off the Virginia Tech Hokies 67-66 in a nail-biting finish, with the Hokies' Amani Hansberry scoring 16 points and grabbing 5 rebounds, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Hurricanes' strong second-half performance, where they outscored the Hokies 36-32. The Hurricanes' win marked their 4th in their last 5 games, with their only loss coming against California, 85-86, and they have been averaging 78 points per game in that stretch. The Hokies, on the other hand, have been struggling, with a 2-3 record in their last 5 games, and have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game. The Hurricanes' strong recent form, coupled with their 21-5 overall record, has them sitting at a NET rank of 35, while the Hokies' 17-10 record has them at a NET rank of 58.

The game was a back-and-forth affair, with the Hokies taking a 34-31 lead into halftime, thanks in large part to Hansberry's 10 first-half points, but the Hurricanes came out strong in the second half, with Donaldson scoring 18 of his 32 points in the final 20 minutes, including a crucial 3-pointer with just over 2 minutes remaining to give the Hurricanes a 65-62 lead. The Hokies would cut the lead to 1 point with just over 1 minute remaining, but the Hurricanes were able to hold on for the win, with Donaldson's free throw with 10 seconds remaining providing the final margin. The Hurricanes' ability to close out games has been a key factor in their success this season, with 4 of their last 5 wins coming by 5 points or less, including a 77-76 win over NC State and a 75-66 win over North Carolina.

The Hurricanes' Tre Donaldson was the star of the show, with his 32 points coming on 12-20 shooting, including 4-7 from 3-point range, and he also added 4 rebounds and 3 assists, but it was his ability to hit big shots that made the difference, including a 3-pointer with just over 2 minutes remaining to give the Hurricanes a 65-62 lead. The Hokies' Amani Hansberry also had a strong game, with 16 points and 5 rebounds, but he was just 6-15 from the field, and the Hokies' Jailen Bedford added 12 points and 6 assists, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Hurricanes' strong team defense, which held the Hokies to just 32 points in the second half. The Hurricanes' Dante Allen also had a solid game, with 10 points and 5 rebounds, and he was a key factor in the Hurricanes' strong second-half performance, with 8 of his 10 points coming in the final 20 minutes.

The CHD Scout prediction had the Hurricanes winning by 9.4 points, and while the final margin was much closer, the prediction was still correct, with the Hurricanes coming out on top.

The reason for the discrepancy between the predicted and actual margins was the Hokies' strong first-half performance, which saw them take a 34-31 lead into halftime, but the Hurricanes' ability to adjust their defense and hold the Hokies to just 32 points in the second half was the key factor in their win. The Hurricanes' strong team defense, which has been a key factor in their success this season, held the Hokies to just 39% shooting from the field, and forced 14 turnovers, which led to 18 points for the Hurricanes. The Hokies, on the other hand, struggled to find consistency on offense, with 3 of their last 5 games resulting in losses, and they have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game in that stretch.

The win for the Hurricanes keeps them in contention for a top seed in the NCAA tournament, with their 21-5 record and NET rank of 35 making a strong case for a high seed. The loss for the Hokies, on the other hand, drops them to 17-10, and their NET rank of 58 makes their tournament hopes more uncertain, with 3 of their last 5 games resulting in losses, and they have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game in that stretch. The Hurricanes' strong recent form, coupled with their win over the Hokies, has them sitting at 4-1 in their last 5 games, with their only loss coming against California, 85-86, and they have been averaging 78 points per game in that stretch. The Hokies, on the other hand, have been struggling, with a 2-3 record in their last 5 games, and have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game.

The win for the Hurricanes is a significant one, as it keeps them in contention for a top seed in the NCAA tournament, and their NET rank of 35 makes a strong case for a high seed. The loss for the Hokies, on the other hand, drops them to 17-10, and their NET rank of 58 makes their tournament hopes more uncertain, but they still have a chance to make a push for the tournament with a strong finish to the season, and their recent win over Georgia Tech, 71-65, shows that they are capable of beating quality opponents. The Hurricanes' strong team defense, which has been a key factor in their success this season, held the Hokies to just 39% shooting from the field, and forced 14 turnovers, which led to 18 points for the Hurricanes. The Hokies, on the other hand, struggled to find consistency on offense, with 3 of their last 5 games resulting in losses, and they have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game in that stretch.

The Hurricanes' win over the Hokies is a significant one, as it keeps them in contention for a top seed in the NCAA tournament, and their 21-5 record and NET rank of 35 make a strong case for a high seed. The Hokies, on the other hand, must regroup and refocus if they want to make a push for the tournament, with 3 of their last 5 games resulting in losses, and they have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game in that stretch. The Hurricanes' strong recent form, coupled with their win over the Hokies, has them sitting at 4-1 in their last 5 games, with their only loss coming against California, 85-86, and they have been averaging 78 points per game in that stretch. The Hokies, on the other hand, have been struggling, with a 2-3 record in their last 5 games, and have been outscored by an average of 6 points per game. The Hurricanes' ability to close out games has been a key factor in their success this season, with 4 of their last 5 wins coming by 5 points or less, including a 77-76 win over NC State and a 75-66 win over North Carolina.