Miami advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row after beating Indiana 85-69 on Sunday night. Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller led a second-half surge and scored 27 and 19 points, respectively, for the Hurricanes. Miami will play top-seeded Houston in the Midwest Region semifinals on Friday. All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis had 23 points and eight rebounds for the Hoosiers, who have not made it to the Sweet 16 since 2016. Miami had a 16-1 run in the final five minutes to beat Drake in the first round. The Hurricanes shared the ACC regular-season title with Virginia, while Indiana Coach Mike Woodson has taken the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament in both years he has been on the job. The other top story in college basketball is Baylor’s stunning defeat to Villanova on Saturday, making Villanova one of two No. 5 seeds remaining in the tournament. The other No. 5 seed is Creighton, which will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga on Sunday.
Miami proved they were still in the game after almost being upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, as they emerged victorious against Indiana. With Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller leading the way, the Hurricanes went on a second-half rampage to secure their spot in the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga commented, “Our guys were disappointed about the way they played Friday, so we were really ready to show that this is Miami basketball.” He added, “We’re very hard to guard.” Wong, who was limited to five points in their first-round win, redeemed himself with 27 points and eight rebounds, while Miller contributed 19 points to the team’s total score.
Miami’s fast start with Nijel Pack’s 10 out of 12 points in the first half helped the team gain the upper hand over Indiana, which shattered their hopes of winning a sixth national title. Trayce Jackson-Davis was Indiana’s top scorer with 23 points and eight rebounds, but it was not enough to take down the Hurricanes.
Miami’s next challenge is against top-seeded Houston in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri. Indiana, on the other hand, has not reached the Sweet 16 since 2016. Despite a late run, Indiana was unable to keep up with Miami, who held a 42-26 rebounding advantage.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson admitted that Miami played better and deserved the win. “It was a well-coached game, and I thought they were the better team. They showed it first half and second half. I thought when we got back in it, we didn’t do the things to put us in position once we got the lead to win this game.”
Miami did not relinquish the lead until Indiana scored 13 points in a row to push ahead 43-40. Miami answered back with a 16-4 run, with Wong hitting two 3-pointers and Miller scoring seven points during that time.
Miami led 69-60 when Wong hit a 3 late in the shot clock, Bensley Joseph followed with a steal, and Miller fed Joseph in the corner for a wide-open 3 that made it 75-60 with 3:23 left. Miami ended the game with an 85-69 win over Indiana, proving that they still have what it takes to compete in March Madness.
Miami Hurricanes basketball team advances to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row with a decisive 85-69 win over Indiana Hoosiers. The game was held on Sunday night and was a must-win for Miami, after they almost got upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said that his team was ready to prove that they are capable of playing at the highest level and that Miami basketball is difficult to defend against. Wong, who was named Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year, was instrumental in the team’s victory with 27 points and eight rebounds, while Miller contributed 19 points.
Miami’s Nijel Pack added 12 points, 10 of which were in the first half, as Miami got off to a quick start and dominated the game. Miami will face top-seeded Houston in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson praised Miami’s performance and admitted that his team was beaten by a better team. He said, “It was a well-coached game, and I thought they were the better team. They showed it first half and second half. I thought when we got back in it, we didn’t do the things to put us in position once we got the lead to win this game.”
Miami’s win puts them in a unique position in the tournament, as they are the only ACC team left. Virginia lost to Furman in the first round, and Duke was beaten by Tennessee in the second round. Pittsburgh was eliminated by Xavier earlier on Sunday.
The win is a significant accomplishment for Miami, who has proven that they are a force to be reckoned with in March Madness. Miami’s next challenge is against top-seeded Houston, and a win would put Miami in its second straight Elite Eight.
Miami Hurricanes proved their mettle in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by securing an 85-69 victory against Indiana Hoosiers. Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller led a decisive second-half spurt to lead the Hurricanes into the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said that the team was disappointed with their performance in the first round and had something to prove in this match. They were determined to showcase Miami basketball and demonstrate that they are a tough team to beat.
Wong, who was limited to five points in the first-round win over Drake, redeemed himself in the match with 27 points and eight rebounds. Miller also contributed significantly to the team’s win with 19 points. Miami’s Nijel Pack scored 12 points, ten of which were in the first half.
Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, an All-American, scored 23 points and eight rebounds in the game, while Jalen Hood-Schifino added 19 points, and Race Thompson scored 11.
The game was tied at 49-all when Miami’s Miller scored a layup, igniting a 16-4 burst. Wong hit two 3-pointers and Miller had seven points during that stretch.
Miami’s win was impressive, considering that they almost lost in the first round to Drake and needed a 16-1 run in the final five minutes to win. This time, Miami’s late run was more composed and not as desperate.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson called a timeout less than two minutes into the game with his team trailing 6-0. He gave all the credit to Miami, who had a 42-26 rebounding advantage. He said, “They played their butts off tonight. It was a well-coached game, and I thought they were the better team.”
Miami had a comfortable lead for most of the game but lost the lead briefly when Indiana went on a 13-0 run bridging the halves to push ahead 43-40. Miami didn’t lose its composure and quickly regained the lead.
Miami’s win was a significant accomplishment, as they are the only ACC team left in the tournament. Virginia lost to Furman in the first round, and Duke was beaten by Tennessee in the second round. Pittsburgh was eliminated by Xavier earlier on Sunday.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson has taken the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament in both years on the job. Next year, it may be tough for the Hoosiers without Jackson-Davis, Thompson, and Miller Kopp.
Miami’s next challenge is against top-seeded Houston in the Midwest Region semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday. Another win would put Miami in its second straight Elite Eight. Larrañaga has been to the Final Four once, in his previous job at George Mason.
For AP March Madness coverage, including the latest bracket updates, college basketball polls, and news, visit the following links: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness, https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket, https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll, and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25.
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