Sports briefs 1/16

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Hurricanes are on the road to face Boston College at 7 p.m. Thursday. Miami is coming off its second ACC win of the season, a 64-62 victory over Virginia Tech.

After Thursday’s matchup with the Eagles, the Canes will return home as their conference schedule continues against N.C. State at the BankUnited Center. Tipoff for that game is set for 2 p.m. Sunday.

Miami has been paced so far this year by leading scorer Caprice Dennis, a sophomore who is averaging 13.8 points per game.

 

PUNTER HONORED

All-ACC punter Pat O’Donnell has won the College Football Performance Awards 2013 Punter Trophy, announced Monday.

O’Donnell set a single-season record for the Hurricanes with a 47.1-yard punt average. He landed 19 of his 53 punts inside the 20-yard line, and recorded 23 punts of 50-plus yards.

O’Donnell and linebacker Denzel Perryman were Miami’s only two players named first-team All-ACC. He will be honored for his Performance Award during halftime of the men’s basketball game against Duke next Wednesday.

Former receiver Leonard Hankerson is the only other Hurricane to win a College Football Performance Award, which he claimed in 2010.

The awards are given based on calculations that determine a player’s effectiveness and how much value he adds to his team.

 

NCAA UPDATE

Miami hoped it could lighten the NCAA’s scholarship reductions for the Hurricanes football team, based on the merit of UM’s previous self-imposed penalties.

However, a CBS Sports report on Wednesday revealed that the NCAA will not back off the nine total scholarships it docked Miami through the next three seasons.

A full team roster comprises 85 scholarship athletes per year, while Miami will now have to stick with 82 per year.

The Hurricanes reportedly used only 76 of their 85 alloted scholarships in 2013, attempting to prove their compliance with the NCAA investigation and soften the punishment UM received in October.

 

 

Spencer Dandes may be emailed at sports@themiamihurricane.com.