Despite senior struggles and foul trouble, the Miami Hurricanes' defense and bench spark propelled them past the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals and into the ACC Tournament semifinals.
The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals after a 78–73 victory over the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals. Despite foul trouble and second-half offensive slumps, they managed to survive a scrappy matchup.
Key takeaways from the game:
Hurricanes; Senior struggles: All-ACC forward Malik Reneau appeared to be a shell of himself against the Cardinals. Despite finishing with 24 points on 47.1 percent shooting, six rebounds, three steals, and a block in 31 minutes, he dealt with foul trouble. Reneau picked up two in the first half, but unlike the previous matchup, it wasn’t in the first two minutes of regulation. He finished with three in total.
Afterwards, the 22-year-old wasn’t as aggressive as usual, but managed to make an impact in critical moments, including making two free throws to secure the victory.
Alongside Renau, All-ACC guard Tre Donaldson wasn’t able to impact the scoreboard in the second half, going scoreless. However, the 22-year-old found other ways to help the team offensively, such as setting others up for good looks. Donaldson finished with 14 points on 40 percent shooting, six assists, three steals, and a rebound in 38 minutes.
It wasn’t a great performance overall by either senior, but others stepped up.
Hurricanes; Sixth man shining: Junior guard Tru Washington has embraced his new role off the bench, despite starting in 19 games during the regular season. He provided a much-needed spark for the Hurricanes against the Cardinals. The 21-year-old finished with 17 points on 41.7 percent shooting, two assists, and a rebound in 26 minutes.
Also, Washington had a significant steal on an inbound pass, then was fouled and made two free throws with less than a minute in the second half. It created enough separation for the Hurricanes to pull through with a win.
Hurricanes; Defensive dominance: The Cardinals’ offense lived and died from behind the arc all season. They led the ACC in three-pointers made and attempted, plus the fourth-highest percentage. However, the Hurricanes held them to 25 percent, making six of 24. It’s the Cardinals’ third-worst three-point performance against an ACC opponent.
The Hurricanes forced 13 turnovers, scoring 17 points off them. Regardless of shooting and percentages, coach Jai Lucas wants the team to defend at a high level.
This game was a mirrored version of the regular-season finale on Saturday, March 7, at the Watsco Center.
However, the Hurricanes need to improve at the free-throw line. They only made 19 of 29 attempts, 65.5 percent. As a physical team that gets into the paint a lot, getting foul calls comes with it. Converting at the line will be critical moving forward.
The Hurricanes will face the No. 2 Virginia Cavaliers on Friday for the ACC Tournament semifinals. It’s another rematch and an opportunity to avenge a regular-season loss.
The program continues to defy the odds and thrive as an underdog.
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