UM loses two players to COVID, but Canes rally in second half, beat N.C. State 91-83
COVID finally caught up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team, but the Hurricanes overcame the loss of two players and rallied to beat North Carolina State 91-83 late Wednesday night at the Watsco Center.
It was Miami’s sixth win in a row. The Canes are 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the ACC heading into Saturday’s home game against Wake Forest.
Jordan Miller had his best game since transferring from George Mason, leading the Hurricanes with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting with five rebounds and a pair of blocks.
“Jordan had a sensational game, played with a lot of confidence and aggression,” said UM coach Jim Larranaga. “He played at the four, the five, and was guarding the three. He played like an ACC veteran.”
Miami senior guard Kam McGusty, the fifth-leading scorer in the ACC, continued to build on his breakout season with 20 points with a team-high 11 rebounds and five assists. Isaiah Wong struggled early with just four first-half points but caught fire in the final 10 minutes and finished with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
Wong said Larranaga approached him at halftime and asked, “Remember last year against N.C. State? How many points did you have?” Wong told the coach he scored 25. Larranaga challenged him to play like that in the second half.
He obliged.
With Miami trailing 64-58, Wong went up for a thunderous dunk, which ignited the crowd and the UM bench. He went on to score 12 points over the next few minutes, including back-to-back three pointers.
“That dunk definitely got my energy up, got my confidence up,” Wong said, smiling. “It was a huge boost to see the crowd and the other players getting hyped.”
Anthony Walker came off the bench and chipped in 11 points and four rebounds in 23 minutes.
“That was an incredibly exciting college basketball game,” Larranaga said. “A heck of a home victory for us. I was so impressed with N.C. State’s speed, quickness and athletic ability and how they were able to attack the basket…But you gotta give our guys a lot of credit. We fought from behind most of the night. Miller was sensational, and Kam and Isaiah Wong took charge the final 10 minutes.”
The Hurricanes had not had a single player miss a game since the pandemic began, but two players – starting forward Sam Waardenburg and freshman Wooga Poplar – were forced to sit out Wednesday’s game due to COVID protocols.
Poplar was asymptomatic, but tested positive after returning from winter break, Larranaga said. Waardenburg, who stayed in Miami over break, had been having cold symptoms and initially tested negative, but tested positive this week.
Miami missed sixth-year senior Waardenburg’s leadership and inside presence and Poplar’s spark off the bench. The Canes were outmuscled in the paint the first half but turned things around and controlled the boards in the second half.
McGusty and Miller carried the team from start to finish.
After entering his name in the NBA Draft last spring, McGusty decided to return to UM for a final season and so far, it seems like a wise decision. He is playing with more confidence than ever, crediting a new ritual of daily meditation and visualization exercises.
McGusty said he imagines different shots going in, and that helps sharpen his focus during games. He scored 16 of Miami’s first-half points and led the team with seven rebounds and four assists before intermission.
Deng Gak started in place of Waardenburg and made a few nice plays early, including a dunk off a McGusty assist to give the Canes a 25-17 lead at the 10-minute mark. But the Wolfpack then went on a 13-4 run to go ahead 30-29, and the teams traded leads the rest of the first half.
N.C. State led 41-40 at halftime.
Miami went on its best second half run with a lineup that included Wong, McGusty, Miller, Walker and freshman Bensley Joseph, whose tenacious defense inspired the rest of the Canes to pick up their effort, Larranaga said.
“We stayed positive and poised down the stretch,” Miller said. “This team handles adversity well. We never hung our heads. The rim felt big for me and credit to my teammates for finding me.”
Miller said he was not surprised to see Wong’s second-half scoring outburst. “Zay is the kind of guy who can score a lot of points in a short period of time,” he said. “He’s very clutch. He can have a quiet first half and then score 15 in the second.”
The Wolfpack (7-6, 0-2 ACC) had four players in double figures – Jericole Hellems (24), Terquavion Smith (14), Dereon Seabron (14), and Thomas Allen (13).
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 12:12 AM.