Quadir Copeland's Buzzer Beater Hands The Norchad Omier-Less Hurricanes A Loss 72-69
After losing to Florida State and Louisville in their last stretch of games, Miami came into this game looking to get back on track with a big time win. However, the odds were stacked against them before the ball tipped-off.
Dealing with an ankle injury, Norchad Omier was ruled out for this game meaning the Hurricanes would be without their star big for the first time this season. With this in mind, Coach Jim Larrañaga opted to go with Kyshawn George in the starting lineup over a healthy Bensley Joseph to give Miami some height.
Well despite leading the game for nearly 29 minutes, Syracuse's Quadier Copeland displayed late game heroics as his buzzer beating three pointer was enough to give the Orange a win. Syracuse moves to 13-5 on the season while Miami moves to 12-6.
QUADIR COPELAND WINS IT FOR @Cuse_MBB AT THE BUZZER 🚨
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) January 20, 2024
(via @Cuse_MBB) pic.twitter.com/o53djC4P2g
Leading the way for the Orange was their dynamic backcourt pairing of JJ Starling and Judah Mintz. Starling led the game in scoring with 22 points knocking down six of his 10 three pointers. Mintz nearly had a triple-double, coming just two rebounds shy while having 13 assists and 10 points.
Nijel Pack yet again had another productive second half for the Hurricanes, scoring 12 of his 19 points to lead the way for Miami. Matthew Cleveland followed up one of his worst performances of the year with 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Where Miami struggled was with foul trouble, as George and Wooga Poplar battled it throughout the game. George ended up finishing with 10 points, while Poplar had just five points. Poplar has yet to score 20+ points in ACC play despite having four instances in non-conference play.
Additionally, Michael Nwoko filled in for Omier with a solid seven points and five rebounds. However, it's likely Omier's presence could've been the difference in this matchup.
Now 3-4 in ACC play, Miami will face-off against Notre Dame at 7:00 PM on Wednesday night on a game that has to go their way.
2023-24 Miami Hurricanes Basketball Schedule
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