Hokies stymie ’Canes

ATLANTA — The gigantic scowl on Miami star Jack McClinton’s face as he sat on a dais in the postgame press conference told you all you needed to know about the result of Thursday afternoon’s Miami-Virginia Tech game.

McClinton, who had been battling a knee injury in recent games, was a shell of himself against the Hokies.

Virginia Tech, the No. 8 seed, completely took the first-team all-ACC selection out of his game, easily defeating the No. 9 Hurricanes, 65-47, in the first round of the ACC tournament.

“We guarded him by committee,” said Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg, whose squad will take on top-seeded North Carolina in today’s quarterfinals at noon. “It was a collective team effort because he’s such a good player.”

McClinton finished with just nine points, more than 10 below his season average. The senior was 1 of 6 from 3-point range and committed seven turnovers.

“It really wasn’t [anything] we hadn’t seen before,” said McClinton, when asked about Tech’s defensive strategy. “I just played a bad game.”

Virginia Tech was led by Malcolm Delaney’s 17 points and eight assists. A.D. Vassallo chipped in with 14 and J.T. Thompson had one of his best games of the season, scoring 12 and grabbing eight rebounds.

“J.T. gave us energy off the bench that was special,” Greenberg said.

The Hokies (18-13) led by as many as 14 in the first half before Miami, behind a pair of 3-pointers from Adrian Thomas (team-high nine points), went on a 9-0 run to close within four at the break.

But Tech made its move about midway through the second half, going on a 14-0 run that culminated in a Thompson dunk.

“I thought today was by far our worst performance from an offensive standpoint,” said Miami coach Frank Haith. “That was the key to the game. We struggled to get any kind of rhythm going.”

The Hurricanes (18-12) were just 35 percent from the field while the Hokies shot 50 percent. Tech also outrebounded Miami, 35-22.

“They whipped us,” Haith said. “They were way more aggressive.”

With the loss, Miami’s NCAA tournament hopes were effectively extinguished. Tech, on the other hand, likely needs a win over UNC in today’s quarterfinals to punch their ticket.

The Tar Heels won the lone meeting between the schools in Blacksburg on March 4.

“They’re the best transition team in America,” Greenberg said. “They push it at you at warped speed. They’re as dangerous off a made shot as they are a missed shot.

“We need to take it to a whole another level [today].”

Last season, Virginia Tech’s NCAA hopes were dashed when the Tar Heels beat them in the ACC tournament semifinals.

“We’re playing for a spot in the NCAA tournament, but more than that — we’re playing for an ACC championship,” Vassallo said.