Miami fall 78-74 in overtime upset loss to Mountaineers

Coral Gables, FL – Coming off a historic game for the Miami Hurricanes, where coach Jim Larranaga had told his players before that game, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift,” those words could not have come any truer today. Last Sunday’s game was old news already, and they had their chance as 17.5-point favorites to follow it up with another impactful win that would have kept their momentum going into the holiday break. Instead, the Miami Hurricanes fall in overtime in an upset loss to Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers.

Hurricanes start slow but overcome early obstacles

Mount St. Mary’s started the game with a bang, jumping off to a quick 8-2 lead that was highlighted by two three-point shots by the Mountaineers guard, Carmelo Pacheco. It took 10 minutes for the Canes to take the lead. Freshman guard, Jalil Bethea hit a three-point basket to put them up 15-13. Following that shot, it was all Miami going into the 2nd half with a comfortable 38-28 lead.
Senior guard Matthew Johnson led the offense in scoring with 11 points. Although not the prettiest half for the Hurricanes, they forced 12 turnovers, and it seemed they could expand their lead in the final 20 minutes of the game.

Canes outmatched in the 2nd half

It all fell apart for the Canes once they started missing simple shots, committing fouls, and turning the ball over. They were clearly inconsistent, being outshot 17-11 by the 10:39 mark, cutting Miami’s lead down to 49-45. As time passed, the Mountaineers bench got louder and more amped up, while the Hurricanes bench grew frustrated and searched for answers.
The Mount eventually took a 66-64 lead with 2:15 remaining in the game. After a tie at 66, both teams traded missed shots. Senior Jalen Blackmon had the ball in his hands with seven seconds left but couldn’t make what could have been the game-winning shot for Miami. For Mount St. Mary’s, forward Terrell Ard Jr. dominated the half with 11 points.

Frustrations continue in OT

Both teams traded baskets to make it a 70-70 game. However, the Hurricanes were held scoreless for nearly three minutes in overtime. It ultimately cost them the game. UM had a couple of turnover opportunities late in overtime but failed to get their rhythm going.

Career-day for Bethea

Jalil Bethea had himself a career-high 17-point performance. With 16 seconds left in overtime, down 75-72, Bethea had the opportunity to hit the game-tying shot but unfortunately missed.

Outlook for the Canes

The post-game scoresheet was dismal for the Hurricanes, who finished with a 40.6 field goal percentage and shot for just 20% from behind the arc. “A team I thought would be a great three-point shooting team this year went five-for-25 from three, and most of the shots were open,” Jim Larranaga said.

Hired in 2011, Larranaga is off to the worst start (4-8) in his 14-year tenure with the team. The Miami Hurricanes don’t play again until a New Year’s Day showdown on the road against the Boston College Eagles.