Lightning can strike twice, and the second time, with more force.
Virginia blew a 10-point lead in the final 37 seconds of regulation, and Miami dominated the overtime session en route to a shocking 69-62 win in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Thursday in Greensboro.
UVa. (16-15) used a 20-4 run to open up a 50-39 lead on an Assane Sene layup with 2:17 to go and still led by 10 at 53-43 on a Mustapha Farrakhan free throw with 42 seconds remaining. Durand Scott made a wide-open three with 37 seconds left to pull Miami within seven, and after Sammy Zeglinski missed a pair of free throws, Malcolm Grant drained another three to make it 53-49 Virginia with 30 seconds to go.
A turnover in the backcourt underneath the Miami basket gave the Hurricanes the ball back, and Julian Gamble took the inbounds pass to the rim for a dunk that cut the lead to two with 19 seconds left. Scott then stole the inbounds pass under the Miami basket and made a layup and was fouled by Farrakhan and had a chance to give UM a lead with 12 seconds to go. He missed the free throw, but Farrakhan and Zeglinski fumbled the rebound out of bounds, giving Miami the ball and a chance for the last shot.
Grant lost control of the ball on his way to the basket with two seconds to go, sending the game to overtime.
The meltdown was eerily similar to the one that Virginia experienced in a 70-68 overtime loss at Miami on Feb. 5 in a game in which the Cavs led by seven with 50 seconds to go and couldn’t hold the lead there.
As in that one, Miami took control in the extra session, this time outscoring UVa. 16-9 in the final five minutes to eliminate any doubt to the final outcome.
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