UM women rally late, Marshall hits game-winning three to edge visiting Virginia 77-74
Natalija Marshall was not the University of Miami’s leading scorer on Thursday night. Nor was she the leading rebounder. But her two clutch three-point shots in the thrilling final minutes sealed a 77-74 Hurricanes win over the visiting Virginia Cavaliers.
Miami led for less than five minutes all night, but they were the minutes that mattered most.
It was UM’s second win in a row after seven consecutive losses and UM coach Tricia Cullop said Marshall was the reason. The 6-5 graduate student, who transferred from Notre Dame, returned to action last weekend after missing three games on concussion protocol.
“We didn’t have Nat for three games, and during that stretch things didn’t go so well,” Cullop said. “Having someone with her experience and length and speed and ability to stretch the defense makes a world of difference.”
Cullop added that every time they played on the road, the visiting team’s coaching staff watched the Hurricanes get off the bus to see if Marshall was on it “and watched us like a hawk because she’s a difference maker and makes her teammates better.”
Her first big three capped an 8-0 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to put Miami up 58-57, the Canes’ first lead since early in the game.
Her game-clincher came with 9.8 seconds to go. Virginia led by one, UM guard Hanna Cavinder had the ball, had a chance to shoot, but made the extra pass to Marshall, who didn’t hesitate from the top of the key.
“I saw we were down, I was open and I shot it and was happy it went in,” Marshall said, smiling. “But our defense in the fourth quarter is what won that game. It wasn’t my three-point shot. I know that might be what it looks like, but it was our defense.”
Miami was particularly dominant in the fourth quarter. The Canes outscored the Cavaliers 28-17, shot 64.7 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from beyond the arc to erase an eight-point deficit.
Marshall and Cameron Williams, who grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds to go with 14 points, played huge roles as did Haley Cavinder and Jasmyne Roberts.
Cavinder recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 22 points, 10 assists and five rebounds. Roberts scored nine of her 12 points in the final quarter, including three big shots down the stretch.
“Jaz hit two big baskets for us to give us a big boost, and then Haley and Hanna, what can you say?” Cullop said. “Haley shot the heck out of the ball. She really carried us and makes great decisions.”
The Cavinder twins’ football star boyfriends were at the Watsco Center for the game. Incoming UM quarterback Carson Beck dates Hanna and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson dates Haley.
Cullop knew there would be at least one Virginia player hyper motivated for the game against the Hurricanes.
Asked after UM’s win over SMU last Sunday what she expected from Virginia, Cullop said: “We know they’ve got a post player that’s pretty important who left here.”
She was talking about Latasha Lattimore, who transferred from UM to Virginia last spring when longtime Miami coach Katie Meier retired. She gave the Canes fits all night. The 6-4 senior forward matched a career-high with 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting against her former teammates.
The Hurricanes took an early five-point lead on a three-pointer by Hanna Cavinder, but then Lattimore came off the bench for the Cavaliers and gave the visitors a spark. She blocked a Roberts shot on her first play, igniting her teammates on the Virginia bench.
The Cavaliers proceeded to make back-to-back three pointers to take the lead at the five-minute mark. By halftime, Lattimore had 11 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal in 13 minutes.
Miami closed out the first half on a 12-2 run to cut Virginia’s lead from 15 points to five, 35-30. Haley Cavinder made back-to-back threes during the stretch and her twin sister, Hanna, made a driving layup.
Virginia stayed ahead until midway through the fourth quarter, when Marshall’s three pushed Miami ahead.
“Until we went big, she really caused a lot of problems for us,” Cullop said of Lattimore. “We didn’t match up well. Finally, we had to ride with our big lineup because she’s extremely talented. She’s a matchup nightmare. But I want to compliment my team because we want players who want to be here. We’ve got a whole locker room full of people who want to be Miami Hurricanes, and I’m really proud of them.
“I don’t wish her any ill for leaving. That was her decision. But I’m really excited to coach this group.”
The Hurricanes improved to 13-8 overall and 3-7 in the ACC. They are back home Sunday at 2 p.m. against 20th ranked Georgia Tech (17-4, 5-4 ACC).
This story was originally published January 30, 2025 at 10:33 PM.