CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Ugonna Onyenso racked up 17 points and four blocked shots off the bench and No. 10 Virginia didn’t let Miami get untracked in an 84-62 romp in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament semifinals Friday night.
Thijs De Ridder and Sam Lewis both scored 16 points, Malik Thomas posted 15 and Chance Mallory added 12 as the Cavaliers shot 52.5% from the field.
Second-seeded Virginia (29-4) will face the Clemson-Duke winner in Saturday night’s tournament final. First-year Virginia coach Ryan Odom has his team on the cusp of an ACC tournament title 30 years after his father, Dave Odom, won the second of back-to-back tournaments as Wake Forest’s coach.
Tru Washington’s 13 points and Shelton Henderson’s 12 paced third-seeded Miami (25-8), which dropped to 1-5 in ACC tournament semifinal games.
It was a puzzling offensive display from the Hurricanes, who had scored more than 75 points in each of their past six games. Miami went 4 of 20 on 3-point attempts, while Virginia, led by Lewis with four 3s, finished 11 of 26 from long range.
Miami, a night after knocking off No. 24 Louisville, checked in at 38.6% overall from the field.
Onyenso made eight of his nine shots from the floor. De Ridder shot 7 of 14 from the field with a pair of 3-point baskets, while his team-leading six rebounds helped the Cavaliers to a 38-26 edge on the boards.
Virginia’s lead grew to 74-54 with four minutes to play, a big difference from the Cavaliers’ 86-83 home victory against Miami last month. The margin reached as high as 26 on Friday night.
It took time for much offense to develop as the teams combined to miss the first 13 3-point attempts.
Onyenso made all five of his first-half shots and Mallory hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer as Virginia held a 38-23 halftime lead.
Henderson and Washington combined for eight of Miami’s nine first-half field goals.
–Bob Sutton, Field Level Media
