The Hurricanes are now 3-0 in ACC play and 14-2 overall, extending their long winning streak.
The Miami Hurricanes continue to be one of the hottest teams in college basketball. On Saturday afternoon, the team took down Georgia Tech 91-81 at the Watsco Center. With the victory, Miami is now the winner of their last nine games, but this triumph didn’t come easy.
The Canes began the contest blazing, as they raced out to a 15-2 lead that included a 9-0 run. However, things would be rough at times the rest of the way. Jai Lucas’ squad faced consistent problems and struggles on the defensive end, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to stay close.
However, Tre Donaldson put his stamp on this game. Leading all scorers by notching a career-high 27 points, the Tallahassee native put the Canes on his back in game-changing situations. He has a clutch gene that enables him to excel in the toughest of moments.
To go along with his scoring, the senior point guard also dished out 10 assists, giving him his fifth double-double of the season. Ever since the ACC conference opener against Pitt, Donaldson has made big plays in the most adverse situations.
Today, with Miami clinging to a six-point lead, he was able to knock down a triple from the left wing to end the game. It is safe to say that the veteran has established himself as a leader for the locker room. At the start of the season, Lucas knew he would need the former Michigan star to be depended on in these moments, and Donaldson has lived up to expectations.
He wasn’t the only player who shone bright, though. Ernest Udeh picked up a double-double of his own by scoring 13 points and grabbing 15 boards. While continuing to be a force on the glass, improvement in his foul shooting has continued. After going 4-for-4 in the win over Wake Forest, Udeh went 3-for-4 from the line this afternoon.
However, free-throw shooting was one of Miami’s biggest areas of concern today. After showing signs of improvement in this aspect over the last couple of games, UM once again fell back to square one by shooting a dismal 21-for-32 from the charity stripe.
Still, the balanced scoring seen from Donaldson, Malik Reneau (18 points), and Shelton Henderson (17 points) kept Miami ahead throughout the entire game. Despite the Yellow Jackets getting standout 20+ point outings from Kowacie Reeves Jr. and Lamar Washington, Georgia Tech couldn’t get out of its own way.
The Yellow Jackets stayed true to themselves, committing 14 total turnovers. Miami scored 18 points off those giveaways. Ramblin’ Wreck has had issues holding onto the basketball all year long and is one of only three ACC teams with a negative turnover margin. Big man Baye Ndongo fouled out with 3:20 left in the game.
The Hurricanes are now riding sky-high. With nine consecutive wins under their belt, they are in a great position heading into the middle of January. This is just the start, though, and UM still has a long way to go on its march towards a potential spot in the NCAA Tournament. They will head back out on the road to take on rival Notre Dame next Tuesday night at 7:00 PM on ESPNU.
Category: General Sports
