Charlottesville, VA (Sports Network) - The surging Virginia Cavaliers put a six-game win streak on the line this evening, when they play host to the 23rd- ranked Miami-Florida Hurricanes in ACC action from John Paul Jones Arena.

New head coach Tony Bennett has worked wonders in Charlottesville this season and the result is a team that has been more than competitive. Virginia has won 10 of its first 14 games this season and hasn't lost since a one-point setback at Auburn (68-67) on December 7th. The Cavs have jumped out to a 2-0 start to league play and enter this game off their most impressive win, an 82-75 upset of nationally-ranked Georgia Tech on Wednesday.

Frank Haith's Hurricanes have won 15 of their 17 games this season, but did have a seven-game win streak halted at Virginia Tech on Wednesday, 81-66. The loss dropped Miami to a disappointing 1-2 in conference play, so there is little room for error the rest of the way.

This is the 10th all-time meeting between these two teams. Miami has taken a 6-3 advantage in the series thanks to wins in each of the last three matchups.

The Hurricanes have proven to be a balanced team this season with the ability to win games at either end of the floor. The team's true strength is defensively however, where it ranks among the best in the nation in scoring defense (59.4 ppg), holding foes to a mere .374 shooting. At the other end, the team relies on the trio of Dwayne Collins, James Dews and Malcolm Grant to lead the charge. Collins is one of the ACC's top interior players, as the 6-8, 241-pounder is shooting .602 from the floor and leading the team in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). Dews (12.2 ppg) and Grant (10.7 ppg) provide plenty of perimeter support and have combined for 71 of the team's 146 three-pointers to date. The Hurricanes fell behind by 35 points in the first half and could never recover, as the team dropped a 15-point decision in Blacksburg this week. The team shot a mere .344 from the field, a number that was seriously affected by a 6-of-27 showing from behind the arc. Dews led the way with 11 points. Grant and Collins each had nine, while Collins also pulled down nine rebounds.

The Cavaliers used an efficient 23-of-26 effort from the free-throw line and outscored the Yellow Jackets, 23-3 from the charity stripe in a seven-point victory this week. Virginia shot 44.3 percent from the floor overall and had four players finish in double figures. Star guard Sylven Landesberg led the way with 22 points. Mustapha Farrakhan added 15 points in 23 minutes off the bench, while Mike Scott and Sammy Zeglinski chipped in with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Like the Hurricanes, Virginia has relied heavily on its defensive play this season, limiting foes to a mere 60.1 ppg. Landesberg is the straw that stirs the drink in Charlottesville, leading the team in scoring (17.4 ppg) and assists (39), while ranking second in rebounding (5.4 rpg). Scott adds 13.6 ppg and is the team's top rebounder (8.4 rpg). Zeglinski (10.7 ppg) is the top three-point shooter on the roster, converting half of his opportunities to this point (34-of-68).