Miami Wins Shootout Over Louisville, 93-85

Miami defeated Louisville with Nigel Pack, Isaiah Wong and Norchad Omier combining for 64 points.

Unlike the 80-53 win that No. 19 Miami had on the road against Louisville back on Dec. 4, last night’s game was a highly contested battle.

That should not have surprised anyone that’s been a part of a beatdown on his or her homecourt, and then had the chance for redemption later in the season (for any sport, really).

Make no mistake, Louisville was motivated. It did take them a few minutes to get rolling, however, as the Miami offensive machine was clicking from the opening possession as Wooga Poplar hit Norchad Omeir with a pass that led to a layup.

That 2-0 lead grew to 10-0 with 17:41 remaining in the first half. That’s when Louisville’s El Ellis knocked down his first three-point shot of the evening. It certainly was not his last, as Ellis finished the game with 33 points from 12-20 from the floor, including 3-8 from behind the 3-point arc.

Ellis drilled another 3-point shot with 16:17 remaining, and despite Miami’s defense keying on him. As the saying goes in basketball, “He was in the zone.”

Miami’s harassing defense switched defenders against Ellis, went over ball screens, played physical with him, but all to no avail. Ellis was on a mission. Thankfully for the Canes, there was a more balanced scoring effort that helped to overcome Ellis’s scoring efforts.

Nigel Pack led the Canes with 22 points, and Isaiah Wong and Omier each contributed 21 points each. Plus, Jordan Miller had 10 and Poplar seven.

The offensive scoring from Pack and Wong were probably the difference in the victory, as the following video from the ACC Digital Network discussed:

The Canes backcourt put on a show for their 20th win of the season!
Nijel Pack scored a team-high 22 points and Isaiah Wong added 21 more along with 4 assists! @CanesHoops | #ACCMBB pic.twitter.com/FWPI7kmXAD

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) February 12, 2023

The Hurricanes certainly needed every shot made by both Pack and Wong.

By halftime, Miami had seen its early lead slip away to Louisville at the 4:35 mark, as Ellis connected on a jump shot to give the Cardinals their first lead at 34-33. Miami regained the lead by halftime, with a very entertaining final two minutes in which Miami out scored the opposition 7-5, but it also included Ellis hitting a clutch 3-point shot with only three seconds remaining in the half. Miami led 42-41 going into the break.

The second half saw the Hurricanes come out strong again, with leads of 53-45 at the 17:20 mark, as well as 60-49 with 15:09 remaining in the second half.

To help that lead grow to 11 points, Omier was battling in the paint, and had a dunk that got the fans on their feet. The key here was that Louisville simply would not go away. Again, they were obviously motivated, despite having come into the contest with an Atlantic Coast Conference record of 1-12.

Beyond Ellis, Louisville’s 6-foot-9 and 230-pound power forward, Jae’Lyn Withers, provided plenty of effort on both ends of the court, as he finished with 18 points, five rebounds, an assist and one block.

Withers gave Omier and the Miami defense issues under the basket, and all the Canes were trying to help out on Ellis. It was a tough task to slow down the duo that ended up combining for 51 points for the evening.

Ellis and Withers led the way for the Cardinals to shoot a blistering 57.1% for the evening. That was a shocking total considering how much Miami has prided itself on defense this season, as well as during the game against Louisville. Hats off to the Cardinals for their execution and shot-making efforts.

Miami also scorched the nets, shooting 53.4% from the floor.

Down the stretch, Miami held a lead of just under 10 points, but again, Louisville just would not go away. Ellis hit both of his free throw attempts with 4:47 remaining. That allowed the Cardinals to pull within four points at 74-70.

At that point, Miami actually used its offense more than anything else to get the victory. A 3-point play from a layup by Wong and his made free throw placed Miami up 79-70 with 3:46 to play.

A minute later, Pack hit a 3-point bucket to give the Canes an 82-72 lead. That was the dagger that essentially ended Louisville’s chances. The Miami lead never went below seven points from that point forward, and Miami outlasted a valiant effort from Louisville.

Miami went to 11-4 in the ACC, while Louisville fell to 1-13.

Next up for head coach Jim Larranaga and the Hurricanes will be a pivotal road contest at North Carolina this upcoming Monday night at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

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