Hurricanes end two-game skid, stay in ACC hunt with 79-70 comeback win over Georgia Tech
Two losses in a row could be considered a hiccup in the University of Miami’s otherwise impressive conference run so far this season.
Three consecutive losses would have been a bona fide slump and the way the ACC is going this year, the Hurricanes could not afford to be sliding in February because NCAA tournament bids will be at a premium.
UM averted another slip-up, overcame a slow start and beat Georgia Tech 79-70 Wednesday night at the Watsco Center. After the game, Charlie Moore and Anthony Walker celebrated in the student section, which was rocking for the third home game in a row.
All five Miami starters scored in double figures, led by sixth-year senior Sam Waardenburg, who scored 19 points, was 3-of-4 from three-point range, grabbed eight rebounds and had five assists and a block.
“Sam was terrific start to finish,” said UM coach Jim Larranaga.
Kam McGusty scored all 17 of his points in the second half to help lead Miami’s comeback from a two-point halftime deficit. The Canes trailed by as many as 14 points during the first half.
Isaiah Wong added 14 points and seven rebounds, Moore finished with 13 points and five assists and provided a late-game spark after missing much of the second half in foul trouble.
Walker celebrated his 21st birthday with one of his best games in a UM uniform. He started in place of injured Jordan Miller and more than capably filled in with 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a block. Walker had family members in town for the game, and had to request an extra 12-15 tickets, so he was happy to give them a show.
“It was amazing, once in a lifetime,” Walker said. “The fact that I got to start, I did well, came with a lot of energy, felt good about myself, so it was just an all-around fun experience.”
Walker said the team considered Wednesday’s game a must-win.
“This was huge,” he said. “We focused on energy and trusting each other. We took two L’s, we can’t afford to come apart, especially not after the season we’re working and dreaming to have. It was big to come off the last two games with a W.”
UM improved to 17-7 overall and 9-4 in the ACC. Georgia Tech dropped to 10-13 and 3-9.
Miami took an early lead in the opening minutes, but then struggled from behind the arc, missing its first six three-point attempts. The Yellow Jackets took advantage, hit a couple of threes and went on a 9-0 run to pull ahead 19-12.
The Canes got sloppy over the next few minutes, missing layups and turning the ball over and Georgia Tech stretched its lead to 14 points on a three by Michael DeVoe. But Miami woke up, started taking care of the ball, made six shots in a row, and clawed back into the game with a 14-2 run that cut the gap to two points.
Georgia Tech led 36-34 at the half.
Miami, which struggled from distance in its previous loss to Virginia, continued to have trouble behind the perimeter. Georgia Tech employed a zone defense that forced UM to shoot from outside, and the only Hurricane with a hot hand from distance was Waardenburg.
The Canes were 2-for-10 from three in the first half and were 3-for-16 (19 percent) midway through the second half.
UM came out strong after intermission and took the lead two minutes later on a three by McGusty. The teams traded leads for awhile, Miami trailed 56-52, but then went on a 20-5 run to take control. The Canes scored 20 points from the free throw line after not getting to the line at all against Virginia and that proved to be key in their comeback win.
“Georgia Tech kept us off-balance and we fell behind by 14, but we made some adjustments and ended up cutting the lead to two at the half, which was very important,” Larranaga said. “Then, in the second half we were able to get to the foul line and cash in at the free throw line.”
The Hurricanes were without starting guard Miller, who missed the game with a right leg injury. His status is day-to-day moving forward.
A fourth-year junior guard who transferred from George Mason, Miller is averaging 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game this season. He had started 20 of 23 games.
One of Miami’s main objectives was figuring out how to neutralize Michael DeVoe, whom Larranaga called “a complete handful.’’ DeVoe scorched UM for 29 points in a win last season and averaged 17 points over the last four games against the Hurricanes.
DeVoe finished with a team-high 20 points. Jordan Usher had 16, and Dallan Coleman added 15.
The Hurricanes are on the road Saturday at Wake Forest at 3 p.m.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 10:19 PM.