Struggling Miami Hurricanes basketball team falters late at Clemson, falls 77-60 with Tigers ending on a 24-3 run
For the third game in a row, the struggling Miami Hurricanes basketball team found itself on the wrong side of the final score.
The latest setback for UM (15-10, 6-8 ACC) was at Clemson (17-7, 7-6 ACC), 77-60, on Wednesday night, a game that ended in about as ugly a fashion as you can imagine from a Hurricanes perspective.
After taking a four-point lead on a Kyshawn George three-pointer with 7:03 to play, Miami only scored once more the rest of the game. No, that’s not a misprint. Miami had just three points in the final seven minutes of the game … on a three-point play by Norchad Omier with 3:54 left to play.
Miami was outscored 24-3 in those seven minutes, and Clemson closed on a 12-0 run.
The reality now is that Miami is playing for an NIT berth after runs to the Elite Eight and Final Four the last two seasons.
“I thought it was a very well-played game in the first half and we did some of the things we planned on doing very well,” head coach Jim Larrañaga said after the game. “We ended the game with 17 assists, which is something that has been lacking. We played a pretty darn good 10, 12, 13 minutes…With about five minutes to go, the tide completely changed. They scored and we didn’t.”
Omier had his seventh double-double in eight games, totaling 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead Miami in both categories. George and Wooga Poplar joined Omier in double-figures, tallying 13 and 11 points, respectively.
The Hurricanes connected on their first three shots of the game to jump out to an early 8-2 lead in the contest, but the Tigers responded with three consecutive 3-pointers to take their first lead of the day.
Clemson’s lead in the first half grew to as much as seven, 31-24, with 3:54 to play in the frame. However, Bensley Joseph and Poplar knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to pull the Hurricanes to within one, 31-30, heading into the locker room at halftime.
Omier took over in the second half, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the final 20 minutes of action. The Hurricanes weathered a 10-2 Clemson run, thanks in large part to George and Omier, who combined for 11 points in two minutes to put Miami ahead, 49-45, midway through the half.
In a game that featured 10 lead changes and eight ties, it was the Tigers that made the final run. The team scored 12 straight points to go ahead, 65-57, with 4:04 to play.
Miami remains on the road to take on Boston College on Saturday, Feb. 17. Tipoff in Conte Forum is set for 4 p.m. and the game will air on ACC Network.
