BLACKSBURG, Va. — Manu Lecomte scored 20 points to lift Miami to an 82-61 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Ivan Cruz Uceda came off the bench to add 18 points, as Miami (20-11, 10-8 ACC) hit 15 3-pointers in reaching the 20-win mark for the third time in four seasons. The Hurricanes closed the regular season by winning three of their final four and six of their final nine games.
Miami dominated the last 15 minutes of the first half, using runs of 10-0 and 13-0 to lead by as many as 29 points. The Hurricanes buried 10 3-pointers in the first half alone, including four by Lecomte, who scored 14 in the first half.
Cruz Uceda added 12 points in the first half, including two 3-pointers, as Miami shot 56.7 percent, including 10 of 16 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Virginia Tech shot just 35 percent and turned the ball over six times in the first half.
The Hokies opened the second half with a 10-2 run, cutting a 46-18 halftime deficit to 48-28 on Satchel Pierce’s basket with 15:59 remaining. But the Hurricanes went on a 10-0 run, with different players scoring, to push the lead to 58-28 and weren’t threatened again.
Lecomte, who hit a career-high five 3-pointers, made six of eight from the floor for Miami. James Palmer added a career-high 17 points and hit five 3-pointers.
Ahmed Hill led Virginia Tech (10-21, 2-16 ACC) with 15 points. The Hokies lost their final seven regular-season games.
The Hokies honored two seniors — Will Johnston and Christian Beyer — before the game. Both came to Virginia Tech as walk-ons and earned scholarships.
They will play Wake Forest on Tuesday at the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina.
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