UM basketball team quietly rises in ACC heading into home game vs. Georgia Tech
With all the buzz about the University of Miami football team clinching a spot in the national championship game, Hurricanes fans might have missed a significant midweek UM victory on the basketball court.
The UM men’s basketball team knocked off Wake Forest 81-77 at the LJVM Coliseum on Wednesday night, snapping a 16-game ACC road losing streak that dated to January 2024.
With the win, Miami’s eighth in a row, the Canes improved to 13-2 overall and 2-0 in the conference heading into Saturday’s noon home game against Georgia Tech. One of UM’s losses was to ninth-ranked BYU and the other was to Florida, which was ranked in the top 10 when they played.
After the game Wednesday night, jubilant first-year UM coach Jai Lucas ran into the locker room spraying water all over his players, who then doused him with their water bottles as they all celebrated the win.
“The ACC this year, all wars,” Lucas said. “It makes for exciting games… This win was a testament to our guys who stayed the course, stayed true to who we are. Our thing is we want to win the glass, win the points in the paint and win from the free-throw line and we were able to do that. We just keep truckin’.”
Miami outrebounded Wake Forest 37-20, outscored the Demon Deacons 23-10 from the free-throw line and held a 42-20 edge in points in the paint.
Freshman Shelton Henderson scored the game-winning layup after a key steal from freshman Dante Allen. Tre Donaldson shot 7 of 10 from the field for 21 points, went 6 of 6 from the free-throw line and had six assists. Malik Reneau added 18 points. Ernest Udah finished with 13 rebounds and 10 points.
The Hurricanes rank third in the ACC in scoring with 88 points per game. They have won their games by an average margin of 19.6 points, which is second behind Duke. They lead the league in field-goal percentage (51.7%), defensive rebounding (30 per game), rebounding margin (plus-10.67) and are tied for the lead with 18.6 assists per game.
“They battle,” Lucas said of his team. “They’re showing their grit, their toughness. The thing I’m most excited about is they’re showing their togetherness.”
Donaldson iced the game against Wake Forest with a pair of free throws, which didn’t surprise Lucas.
“He’s got that pedigree,” he said. “If you watched his games at Michigan and Auburn, he’s done it before. In those moments, I trust him because I’ve seen him. The data is there.”
Miami continues to rebound well, which has been a key to the Hurricanes’ success.
“Our team is built with size, with physicality,” Lucas said. “I’m going to take a line out of Coach [Mario] Cristobal’s page, he said it on TV, and excuse my language, but `mass kicks ass’. This team is built to win in the trenches. We’re built to win on the glass, in the paint, and from the free-throw line.”
Georgia Tech enters Saturday’s game 10-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play. The Yellow Jackets average 70.9 points per game. Among the Georgia Tech players to watch are Kowacie Reeves (15.7 ppg) and Lamar Washington, who averages 6.1 assists.
The UM women’s basketball team plays at home on Sunday against Florida State at 2 p.m. Fans are asked to wear all orange.