The #3 Miami Hurricanes moved on to the Sweet 16 with their 65-57 victory over the #11 Wichita State Shockers on Saturday.
It was far from an easy win for Miami in what has been an upset-filled NCAA Tournament. The Hurricanes built a big lead only to see it evaporate as the game continued. UM had to fight for the win, which could end up serving the school well going forward. It is unlikely that the Hurricanes will underestimate any opponent going forward. Tentative play at times in this one can be looked at as a reason for the near-collapse.
Miami opened up the game with a big run that had it up by as much as 21 points early on. The Hurricanes did a great job of attacking the basket, and also were perfect on the first few trey attempts. The ferocious attack was led by Angel Rodriguez, who was following up on his big effort in the first round.
The Shockers would not stay down however and would eventually hold UM scoreless for a span that lasted more than four minutes. The silent Miami offense allowed Wichita State to cut the deficit down as the first half was winding down. The Shockers got the margin down to ten before the Hurricanes turned up the energy a bit following a timeout. Miami would take a 13-point lead into the locker room.
In the first-half, Miami ended up shooting 60 percent compared to only 25 percent for the Shockers. The score was closer than those numbers would imply due to the sheer number of tries that Wichita State had. The Shockers crashed the boards well and came down with nine offensive rebounds in the first half alone. Miami by comparison only had one offensive rebound the entire half.
Miami would open the second half in a way that was reminiscent of the quick start to the game. The Hurricanes opened up things to a 17-point lead in the first four minutes of play. That was before the Shockers went on a quick run to cut the deficit to only nine points. Wichita State's 8-0 run came in the span of a roughly a minute of play.
The Shockers were not done there as they were within three points with just over 12 minutes to play. What looked like it could be an easy win for Miami quickly turned into a game with upset-potential. The Shockers who are known for their ability to make quick runs showed tenacity and athleticism while Miami appeared to continue to play very tentatively.
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Wichita State took its first lead of the game when it drained a three-point basket with about ten minutes left in regulation. The trey gave the Shockers a one-point advantage representing a 22-point turnaround from their first-half. The Hurricanes would rebound quickly and take back the lead. From then on, the teams exchanged baskets in what remained a close game all the way to the buzzer.
Sheldon McClellan had a big day with his 18 points. The senior was especially effective in the latter part of the second half when UM tried to fight off Wichita State's run. McClellan was active on both ends of the court when it was needed most.
Rodriguez was kept quiet after his strong start until the final two minutes of the game. The senior then came alive then adding five points in about one minute. The strong spurt from Rodriguez padded Miami's lead and was key in securing the win. Rodriguez ended up with 28 points which led Miami.
The Hurricanes will play the winner of Sunday's game between #7 Iowa and #2 Villanova next. That game is scheduled to take place on March 24th.
