The Hurricanes earn their signature upset win and have put their stamp on the college basketball world.
It finally happened! The Miami Hurricanes have earned the signature win for Jai Lucas and the school’s NCAA Tournament hopes. For the first time since January 18, 2022, UM defeated North Carolina on their home floor and has improved to 19-5 overall.
The Canes needed to get a win, as they were 0-4 against top 60 teams in the KenPom rankings. Also, UM was projected to be one of the first teams out of the March Madness picture before tonight’s upset victory. The triumph over the No. 11 Tar Heels marks the first time Miami has beaten an AP Top 25 opponent since January of 2024.
It was a special night all around. On top of the Hurricanes getting a big, program-defining win on the basketball court, the football team was honored at halftime. In what was a celebration of Miami’s memorable run to the College Football Playoff National Championship, Mario Cristobal sent a bold message to the partisans inside the Watsco Center.
“It’s been a little while since Miami took center stage. But we all know there is only one Miami, and the entire country got a taste of what Miami is becoming, and there is no stopping it now. We are just getting started.”- Mario Cristobal
While that statement was pinned more on the football team, the same can be said about the squad on the hardwood floor. Lucas’ team notched the win by staying true to their formula. They dominated the paint, outscoring UNC 46-28. The Hurricanes outrebounded Carolina 41-35, while also recording 12 boards on the offensive glass. The offense went through Malik Reneau, who led all Miami scorers with 16 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
While Reneau was the team’s leading scorer again, he was just one-fourth of a balanced Hurricane attack, which saw three others record double figures. Ernest Udeh Jr. scored 15 points in what turned out to be the best game he’s had all season. Despite a rough second half, Tre Donaldson recorded 14 points.
Finally, Shelton Henderson outplayed fellow freshman Caleb Wilson by scoring 12 points and grabbing 5 rebounds, while recording 2 steals and blocks. Wilson was just one of UNC’s several glaring issues in this game. He finished the night with 12 points but on 4-for-10 shooting. In the second frame, he sustained an injury on his left hand and had it wrapped up.
After struggling with turnovers over the last month, Miami succeeded in taking care of the ball tonight. The team only recorded eight giveaways, while the opposition couldn’t do the same. In what became a series of calamitous errors, the Tar Heels committed eight of 11 total turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. On those eight takeaways, Miami recorded six steals.
In the first half, both teams had small runs but didn’t pull away too much. Miami opened up a 10-point lead early, only to see UNC storm back as expected. What kept the visiting Tar Heels in the game was their success from long range.
Hubert Davis’ team went 7-for-13 from beyond the arc. Junior center Henri Veesaar led North Carolina’s attack by scoring nine points and knocking in a triple of his own. Kyan Evans and Luka Bogavac connected on two 3-pointers. On the other side, Reneau and Henderson scored 18 of UM’s 43 first-half points.
The final 20 minutes were more predicated on defense. For a span of over five minutes, neither team could find the bottom of the net. While both squads got cold and went through droughts, North Carolina’s offense broke down, as they shot 26.5% from the floor in the second half.
The jump shooting was off, and they struggled finishing near the rim, going a combined 9-for-17 on dunks and layups. They also never had a lead. Needless to say, when it came to ‘winning time,’ North Carolina crumbled. Miami made the right plays to hang on for the wire-to-wire victory.
No Cane got close to foul trouble, other than Reneau, who tacked on three. Miami has gotten off to a phenomenal start to February and is now just 2.5 games back of first place in the ACC. In league play, they are now 8-3. UM will look to keep climbing up the ACC standings when they face NC State in Raleigh on Saturday afternoon.
Category: General Sports
