CORAL GABLES, FL – Canes slip by the Hokies at the buzzer in a tight one that had the home crowd on their feet for the final 30 seconds of regulation. Entering last night’s matchup, UM had all the momentum, coming off a 3-game win streak, and being favored to win at -7.5. Most fans at the Watsco Center expected an easy win, but the Hokies came to play. This game would go down to the final 3 seconds with the Hokies having a chance to win it all, but let the moment slip away.
Canes Trail by 3 at the Break
Halftime here at the Watsco Center 🏀
The Hokies lead the way entering the locker rooms 34-31 . VT has shot very well tonight especially from behind the arc at 46%.
Meanwhile UM has been the exact opposite… Shooting just 11% from 3 tonight.
Stay Tuned for the second half 🏀… pic.twitter.com/s6LUY7laOc
— SportswithSeb🏀🏈 (@Sportswithseb) February 18, 2026
UM faced a tough test vs. Virginia Tech, who shot well early and earned Miami’s respect. With the Hokies shooting 50% from the floor and 46% from behind the arc, the Canes could not take the lead before halftime. UM would have one of its worst first halves of the year, shooting just 41% from the floor and 11% from 3-pt range. Despite a poor shooting first-half performance, the Canes were only down by three at the half.
Virginia Tech has played very well this season, starting 12-2 in their first 14 games of the year. The Hokies have lost four games this season by one possession (including last night’s loss) and were 3 seconds away from pulling off an upset at the Watsco Center. Despite a 23-point loss to FSU, the Hokies were well-positioned for a rebound win at the Watsco Center. However, entering the locker room, you can feel the atmosphere in the arena start to change. The Canes crowd brought energy from the opening tip, but knew they needed more in the second half.
Tre Has His Way
Tre Donaldson had himself a CAREER NIGHT vs the Hokies at the Watsco Center 🏀
Tre sparked a fire in this Canes team holding off the Hokies at home to improve to 21-5 and 14-2 in ACC play. 🔥
A new career high in points for Tre with 32 points in a 67-66 win at home. #UM… pic.twitter.com/QDMFinezUp
— SportswithSeb🏀🏈 (@Sportswithseb) February 18, 2026
Once the second half started, it was clear Tre Donaldson was a man on a mission. Tre scored 9 of the Canes’ first 15 second-half points, paving the way for a career night. Bucket after bucket, Tre would do everything in his power to pull the Canes ahead in this game. With 7 minutes to go, Tre Donaldson would go NUCLEAR!! Scoring the Canes’ last 15 points to close the game out. Totaling 32 points for the Canes, Tre regained the lead with 3 seconds to go.
The Hokies had their chance to win this game with just seconds to go at the Watsco Center. Sophomore guard Ben Hammond would get the call to take the final shot to give Virginia Tech a much-needed win. Ben would take the inbound pass, drive the lane, but would slip on his own feet, chucking up a prayer as the clock hit zero.
UM Defends Home Court
The Canes improve to 14-2 at the Watsco Center after the nail-biter ends in a Hurricane W. Overall, UM sits at 21-5 and is in 4th place in the ACC standings after their win vs Virginia Tech. A huge win for UM as they dropped both games vs VT last season. Jai Lucas is stringing together a strong season for the Canes, who now head out for two road games.
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