Late 3-Pointers Lift SMU Past Cavaliers

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Three 3-pointers in the final 25 seconds lifted the SMU Mustangs (13-4, 4-2 ACC) past the Virginia Cavaliers (8-9, 1-5 ACC) on Wednesday evening (Jan. 15) at John Paul Jones Arena.

SMU had made just two of its first 18 attempts from deep.

Blake Buchanan led the Cavaliers with his first career double-double (11 points, career-high 15 rebounds) and Ishan Sharma contributed 10 points off two 3-pointers and a 4-for-4 showing at the line. All of Sharma’s free throws came in the final 33 seconds of the contest. Virginia shot 34.6 percent (18-of-52) from the field but only 15.4 percent from behind the arc.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Despite shooting just 34 percent [9-of-26] in the first half, Virginia only trailed by two at the break. The Cavaliers began the contest shooting just 1-of-6, but pieced together an 11-2 scoring run to grab their first lead of the night [13-9]. The Mustangs answered with an 8-0 run before the two teams traded blows for the remainder of the half. Virginia briefly reclaimed the lead with two minutes remaining after Isaac McKneely converted on both ends of a 1-and-1, but ultimately SMU went into halftime up 27-25. The Mustangs shot 44.8 percent from the field and made just one of 12 from deep in the first half.

The Mustangs’ eight turnovers and poor 3-point shooting kept Virginia in the game despite continued shooting struggles early in the second half. After SMU held the Cavaliers at arms’ length through the first 15 minutes of the stanza, a 7-0 run punctuated by an Ishan Sharma triple brought the score to a 45-45 tie before an Andrew Rohde free throw put the Hoos back on top at the 1:44 mark. The following possession, Rohde came up with a timely steal to feed Blake Buchanan an alley-oop dunk. With 25 seconds left, a 3-pointer ended the visitors’ nearly five-minute scoring drought and brought the score to 50-48. Two made 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds from junior guard Boopie Miller gave SMU the win.

UP NEXT
Virginia travels to Louisville on Saturday, Jan. 18. Tipoff at KFC Yum! Center is set for Noon on ESPN2. The Cardinals defeated the Cavaliers, 70-50, on Jan. 4 at John Paul Jones Arena.