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Miami Meets Virginia Tech in Matchup of Struggling Teams
Miami will try to ease its suffering amid its worst season in 31 years when it hosts Virginia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference game on Saturday evening.
Miami’s Season Woes
Miami (6-20, 2-13) has won its two most recent home games, over Notre Dame and Syracuse, but has lost its two most recent games overall—at Pitt last Saturday and at Florida State on Wednesday.
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“The most difficult thing is staying the course when you’re not having success,” said Bill Courtney, who is serving as Miami’s interim coach after Jim Larranaga abruptly retired in December.
Miami, which hasn’t finished with a winning percentage under .260 since the 1993-94 season (.259), is led in scoring by shooting guard Matthew Cleveland at 16.3 points per game and in rebounds by center Lynn Kidd at 7.2.
Kidd also is averaging 11.1 points per game while shooting 65.9 percent from the field for the Hurricanes, who currently have a .231 winning percentage.
Virginia Tech’s Struggles
Virginia Tech (11-15, 6-9) is in danger of sporting its first losing season in a decade.
However, the Hokies beat Miami 86-85 the most recent time the teams met, on Jan. 4 in Blacksburg. Mylyjael Poteat lifted Virginia Tech on a three-point play with just 2.7 seconds left and finished with a game-high 25 points.
For the season, he ranks second on the Hokies in scoring at an average of 9.7 points per game, while fellow forward Tobi Lawal is first at 13.0.
Virginia Tech, which enters Saturday’s matchup on a two-game losing streak, also features shooting guard Jaden Schutt.
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Schutt, a Duke transfer, is averaging 8.5 points and leads the Hokies with 52 made 3-pointers. However, he went scoreless in Virginia Tech’s most recent game, a 54-36 loss at Boston College on Tuesday.
Due to the flu, Schutt played just six minutes as the Hokies shot 29.4 percent from the field, including 15.8 percent on 3-pointers.
“We have to get Jaden healthy,” Hokies coach Mike Young said. “He’s such an integral part to this team with his ability to stretch defenses to make it easier for (Lawal and Poteat).”
Lawal, a Virginia Commonwealth transfer, is an amazing leaper and also leads the Hokies in rebounding this season (7 per game).
What’s at Stake?
Both teams are desperate to turn things around as the regular season winds down. Miami hopes to build on its home success, while Virginia Tech looks to snap its skid.
