The Miami Hurricanes basketball season ended on Thursday afternoon with a 70-66 loss to Georgia Tech. Miami’s cinderella run finally comes to an end, finishing with a 10-17 record (4-15 in the ACC).
Game Recap:
The first half of Thursday’s game was neck and neck. Miami shot 52.2% in the first half, and they found themselves up 33-29.
The second half was a different story though. Miami found themselves up by seven with 18:04 left, 41-34. After that seven-point lead for the Canes, Georgia Tech came storming back to keep it a one-possession game for a few minutes. Turnovers plagued the Hurricanes in the 2nd half, with Georgia Tech pulling ahead 63-56. This was sparked by a 13-3 run in which the Hurricanes were held without a made field goal over an eight-minute span. Miami pulled within two with 31.9 seconds left, 68-66. A few seconds later, the Yellow Jackets got the clincher with a near turnover that was turned into a dunk by Jordan Usher.
Kameron McGusty led the way for the Hurricanes, with 25 points. Nysier Brooks and Isaiah Wong were not far behind, with 19 and 12 points respectively. Jordan Usher led Georgia Tech in points with 15 scored.
“That was a heck of a fight. I thought we gave it all we had right up until the final buzzer,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “What killed us were the turnovers in the second half. We struggled to complete passes against their defense and those turnovers led to easy baskets. Our half-court defense [at the other end] was pretty good.”
What’s Next for Georgia Tech?
Georgia Tech will advance to the ACC Tournament championship game after semifinal opponent Virginia was deemed unable to play because of a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contact tracing and quarantining protocols. Tech will play for the championship against the winner of the North Carolina-FSU semifinal, scheduled to begin at 8:30 PM EST on Friday.