The Good, the Bad and the Ugly From Virginia’s 84–62 Victory Over Miami

The Virginia Cavaliers defeated the Miami Hurricanes in the semifinals.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers took some time before heating up on the court on Friday night, but after building momentum, the Cavaliers ultimately clinched an 84-62 victory over the Miami Hurricanes in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Now the Hoos are left to face either the Clemson Tigers or the Duke Blue Devils in the ACC Championship Game on Saturday.

Virginia entered the tournament in hopes of making a deep run, and their efforts are paying off. But if the Cavaliers want to secure the conference title, they must continue turning up the heat. Regardless of who they play in their next meeting this weekend, competition is expected to be incredibly tight, with a lot at stake.

With the semifinals having concluded, let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly elements of the Virginia-Miami matchup.

The Good

Miami Hurricanes guard Tre Donaldson and Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

• Ugonna Onyenso became the fifth player in program history to have the most blocks in a single season. Onyenso continues to lead the ACC in this category and ranks second in all of college basketball. By the end of the matchup, he had posted 17 points, five rebounds, one assist and four blocks, while shooting 88.9% from the floor.

• Virginia pulls ahead before halftime, which isn't always the case for the Cavaliers. However, once the clock ran out for halftime, UVA was ahead 38-23, thanks to a stunning three-pointer made by freshman Chance Mallory.

• UVA logged eight offensive rebounds through the first half, along with 14 second-chance points, but during their first meeting in February, the Hoos only posted four offensive rebounds through the whole game. This was a significant improvement from last time out. Once the game wrapped up, UVA had totaled 12 offensive rebounds.

The Bad

Miami Hurricanes guard Tre Donaldson and Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

• Shooting and passing were major problems for the Cavaliers early in the matchup, and this continued through the entire first half. There were plenty of missed opportunities in the first, and head coach Ryan Odom was visibly frustrated by this, as was assistant Bryce Crawford. At the 7:38 mark, the Hoos were running 0-7 from the three.

The Ugly

Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory and Miami Hurricanes guard Tre Donaldson | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

• Other than the sluggish start and poor ball movement early in the first half, the Cavaliers didn't have too many ugly moments as the game progressed. However, heading into the ACC Championship Game, it's imperative for the Hoos to hit the ground running—a slow start will not suffice, particularly if they face the Blue Devils.