CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Making history is never easy. No. 22 Miami saw firsthand that it would have to go through a supercharged Mikel Brownless Louisville offense to make it happen.
Miami quickly found itself with a slow and sloppy start to the game. Offensively, they have four turnovers in the first two minutes of the contest against the pesky Cardinals, quickly giving up a 10-2 lead. It was also a slow start for star scorer Malik Reneau.
Reneau quickly picked up two fouls, leaving him off the court for nearly 10 minutes in the first half while the Hurricanes struggled to find any consistent offense.
The first half also saw the Canes try to combat the Cardinals’ offense with a 3-2 zone, which clearly wasn’t going to work for long. Many wide open three’s began to rain down against the Canes, and the first half ended with the Hurricanes trailing from behind while Louisville’s offense was unstoppable.
However, in an emotionally charged Senior Night, the Canes were not going down without a fight. The Canes would have Noam Dovrat knock down three 3-pointers in the first half to cut the lead to four for the Canes.
The second half continued to be a showcase of what the Cardinals’ offense can be when they are clicking, while the Canes would struggle to attack the paint.
The Hurricanes would only have one Cane in double figures while the rest struggled from the field. Moreover, it would be a typical Miami game; they would only struggle to stop the supercharged Cardinals offense.
The Canes would find themselves down 12, looking lifeless until they found themselves in the paint, and Malik Reneau was fouled. Reneau would continue to get fouled so much that he would get the Canes back into the game thanks to his free-throw shooting. A phrase throughout this season would come as a shocker to anyone who has paid any attention to the team’s weaknesses this year.
Thanks to the efforts of Reneau and Tre Donaldson, the Caens would type the game with 4:21 77-77. It was a brand new ball game, and the Wacso Center was ready to rally behind the Canes chasing history.
Miami would rally in two more baskets, going up four, but a trend in the second half would be the constant calls that would favor both teams.
The Hurricanes would get fouled and make a shot, and it would go the other way as well. Back of the fourth, the game went with a made three from Tru Washington to give the Canes a two-point lead with less than two minutes, followed by a foul.
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