Virginia passes first test as number one ranked team

CORAL GABLES, FL (WWBT) - De'Andre Hunter scored 22 points off the bench, and Virginia never trailed in a 59-50 win at Miami, the Cavaliers' first contest since taking over the top spot in the AP Poll. It's the 12th time this season that the Cavaliers have held an opponent to 50 points or less.

UVA used its strong defense to open up a 14 point first half advantage, and went into halftime leading 27-16. The 16 points are the least Miami has scored in a half this season. The Hurricanes closed the gap, however, early in the second half, opening the frame on a 10-2 run to trim the Wahoo advantage to 29-26. With 9:24 remaining the game, UVA led 38-34, but used a 17-6 run during the course of the next 6:22 to pull away and slam the door.

Hunter was a big part of the late game surge, scoring 13 of the 17 points during that span, including two three-pointers and a dunk in traffic.

Kyle Guy added 13 points for Virginia, while Ty Jerome dished out seven assists.

Virginia's defense was able to hold Miami to 38 percent from the floor, and offensively, the Cavaliers assisted on 15 of their 22 field goals.

UVA improves to 24-2, 13-1 in the ACC, and is back in action next Wednesday, hosting Georgia Tech.

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