The Miami Hurricanes defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 70-56 to earn a trip to the Elite Eight. The Hurricanes continued their play of dominant defense to win this game. Now, Miami will face the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks for a spot in the Final Four. If the Hurricanes’ stellar play continues, they will definitely have a chance at the national title. Here’s a recap of the Miami Hurricanes’ impressive win over the Iowa State Cyclones.
Kameron McGusty Can’t Be Stopped
Kameron McGusty was the star player for Miami in the Sweet Sixteen. He finished with a game-high 27 points on higher than 50% shooting, and he also had four steals. Charlie Moore was a contributor on the offensive end with his playmaking, ending with nine assists on the day.
The Hurricanes were pretty aggressive on the defensive side of the ball; Sam Waardenburg and Jordan Miller combined for five blocks. Waardenburg was one of the few players on Miami’s team who shot well behind the arch, and he was a dependable presence on the glass.
One negative aspect is that the Hurricanes struggled from the free-throw line at just under 65%. Those misses occasionally happen in the heat of the moment, but Miami will need to improve in that area for the Elite Eight.
Iowa State Struggles From The Field
Regardless of Miami’s impeccable defense, there’s no denying that the Cyclones really couldn’t get it going on the offensive end. In fact, Iowa State shot below 50% on free throws, from three, and from the field. Honestly, it really looked like the performance of a typical 11th seed.
Tyrese Hunter was the primary source of offense for the Cyclones, and he ended the game with 13 points. Gabe Kalscheur finished with the same amount off of the bench, but he tended to take some questionable threes. Iowa State was pretty dominant on the glass, but those rebounds didn’t often translate to points.
Concluding Thoughts
Even with Iowa State’s rather poor effort, the Miami Hurricanes should be applauded for winning a tough outing in the Sweet Sixteen. The Hurricanes will need to play their best game to bring down the mighty Kansas Jayhawks in the next round. Nonetheless, all Miami fans should now be convinced that anything is possible.
THE MIAMI HURRICANES ARE HEADED TO THE ELITE 8#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/eSpyRfhYeE
— FL Teams (@FLTeams) March 26, 2022