CORAL GABLES, Fla. — In an exciting matchup on Saturday night, Virginia Tech secured an 81-68 victory over Miami, fueled by standout performances from Jaydon Young and Ben Burnham. Young impressively netted 27 points, while Burnham contributed 14, including six critical three-pointers in the latter half of the game.

At halftime, the teams were deadlocked at 38 points. Miami emerged from the break with a 10-4 run, taking a 48-42 lead with just over 15 minutes to play. However, Burnham quickly turned the tide for Virginia Tech with back-to-back three-pointers, capping off a dominant 33-11 run by adding another three, which pushed the Hokies ahead 75-59 with approximately five minutes remaining.

In the second half, Young showcased his scoring ability, tallying 19 points and connecting on three of eight attempts from beyond the arc. Burnham also played a crucial role, adding 11 of his 14 points in this half along with three successful three-point shots. Together, they contributed to nine of Virginia Tech’s total of 12 three-pointers.

For Miami, A.J. Staton-McCray led the way with 21 points, hitting four three-pointers as he aimed to reach the 1,000 career points milestone. Lynn Kidd followed with 16 points, while Paul Djobet and Brandon Johnson chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The Hurricanes had a solid shooting performance in the first half, converting 54% of their shots (14 of 26) and making five of ten attempts from three-point range. However, their second-half shooting dipped to 39% (10 of 26), and they only managed two out of ten three-point shots after halftime.

Looking ahead, Virginia Tech is set to host No. 25 Louisville on Tuesday, while Miami will try to break a three-game losing streak with a home game against third-ranked Duke on the same day.