Miami Rains Threes on the Hokies in a Huge First Half, Leading to a Rotten Senior Day Loss 82-61

Before Virginia Tech's game against Miami, the Hokies took some time to honor the team's two seniors. That would be the high point of the afternoon in the 82-61 loss.

The Hurricanes used a barrage of threes to open up an imposing 28-point lead by the end of the first half, essentially ending the game before it could even get going and spoiling the team's send-off for Will Johnston and Christian Beyer.

Head coach Buzz Williams was essentially left befuddled after the game. A lack of effort was the only thing he could come up with in the way of an explanation.

"You can't be that effortless and expect that things are going to work out," Williams said. "I wish there was a more complex answer and you could write a more juicy story, but I honestly don't think that there is. Because if there is, then why didn't it happen in the second half?"

The Hokies did indeed manage a better effort in the second half, outscoring Miami 43-36, but it hardly mattered. Much like Monday's loss to Boston College, and much of the rest of the season, some late effort couldn't undo the damage wrought by Miami's 10 first half threes.

"It was really bad, very similar to the first half against Boston College," Williams said. "Not good enough, it's not what we want to be about as a program, as a team within the athletic department. It's very discouraging."

The players were similarly without answers. Some pointed out some defensive lapses, which plainly had something to do with the Hurricanes' sudden accuracy, but even the worst defensive teams rarely give up so many triples in one half.

"I think we were giving up a lot of middle to them and they were able to get up a lot of open, practice type shots, and I think that was what really let them get out to an early lead, just not being able to guard them," said guard Devin Wilson.

It wasn't necessarily all bad news for the Hokies. Satchel Pierce had a fine day, setting a career high in points with 13, and filling up the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks. He deflected credit after the game, but his thunderous dunks over Miami's bigs were the only thing to draw some noise from the crowd for long stretches of the game.

"My guys were able to find me on the pick and rolls and all that, so I give credit to my guards," Pierce said.

Williams agreed with that assessment, noting that the team's passing was part of the reason the Hokies were able to redeem some dignity in the second half.

"I think some of that improved in the second half, we were able to make the pass and some of it was the passer as much as it was the roller, but I think he's going to end up being ok," Williams said.

But matter the positives, it's hard to deny that the first half went about as poorly as it possibly could've for the Hokies.

Miami absolutely could not miss, especially from beyond the arc, going 10 of 16 on their three point attempts and absolutely burying the Hokies in the process.

By contrast, Tech went just one of five from 3 and an awful seven of 20 from the floor overall, to go along with six turnovers.

That hardly makes it a surprise that by halftime, the team was facing a 46-18 deficit, the largest lead any opponent's held over Tech at the half this year.

"They were knocking down shots left and right, and they got all the shots they wanted," Wilson said.

But the team responded with some energy to start the new half. Ahmed Hill and Justin Bibbs each chipped in a pair of buckets to key a 10-2 run to get things looking a little more even at 48-28.

The run was capped off by yet another big dunk from Pierce, as he continued to dominate inside.

But after a media timeout, the Hurricanes found their footing. After a quick 10-0 run, the lead was overwhelming once more. Only a three from Malik Mueller ended the madness, with Miami up 58-31.

That basket gave the Hokies a quick burst of energy, and they surged to a 9-0 run of their own courtesy of an and-one by Hill, another Pierce Dunk and a Jalen Hudson free throw.

Suddenly, the Canes found their shooting stroke once more. They hit two quick threes, pushing the lead to 67-40 at the under eight media timeout, with the game essentially in hand.

The Hokies managed another 7-0 run a few minutes later, but the game was never at any point competitive.

"I'm encouraged by how we played in the second half, who played in the second half, their production," Williams said. "But however encouraged I am by that in the second half, I'm that discouraged by that in the first half."

Johnston did manage to hit a three with slightly more than 30 seconds left, a fitting end to his Cassell career.

The last foul call of the game, giving Buzz a chance to pull both Johnston and Beyer and get them some Senior Day recognition. The crowd responded, delivering a standing ovation for both players.

Both played through the lean years with James Johnson, and Buzz had plenty of kind words for them afterward.

"I have two sons and I pray that they grow up to be as good as kids as those guys," Williams said. "Who they are as people, students, workers."

But even with the sense of finality that Senior Day brings, the team still has some basketball left to play. The ACC tournament looms, with Tech set to face Wake Forest, a team they very nearly beat on the road, falling 73-70 back in late January.

Now Williams and the rest of this staff will try to shake off memories of this loss, likely burn all video of the first half, and prepare for two of Wake's tougher players.

"I think Codi Miller-McIntyre, I don't think he missed a shot the last time we played him and I think Devin Thomas is as crafty of an undersized five as there is in the league," Williams said. "We'll have to get to work on them."