Briefs BASKETBALL, TENNIS

Men’s Basketball

Darius Rice scored 20 points, helping Miami snap a 10-game losing streak in a 59-56 win over Villanova on Tuesday night.

Gary Hamilton and Armondo Surratt added 10 points for the Hurricanes (14-15, 4-11 Big East).

Allan Ray scored 27 points and Mike Nardi had 14 for the Wildcats (14-14, 6-9), who have lost four in a row and are in danger of missing out on an NIT bid. Villanova, which lost in overtime to Connecticut last week, finishes the season Saturday at No. 6 Pittsburgh.

The Hurricanes scored the first seven points of the second half to pull within one, and then Ray hit a three-pointer. Rice made it 43-41 after a three, but Derrick Snowden followed with a basket. Rice got Miami within one again with another three, only to have Nardi answer with one on the other end.

Miami finally took a 52-51 lead when Rice hit a jumper with 4:28 to go. Villanova tied it at 54, and then Surratt hit the winner. The Hurricanes shot 58 percent from the field in the second half.

Villanova had 18 turnovers, wiping out a solid 47 percent shooting effort from the floor.

Villanova seniors Andreas Bloch, Tom Grace and Derrick Snowden were honored before the game.

Men’s Tennis

The No. 33 University of Miami men’s tennis team rallied to win five of six singles matches after losing the doubles point en route to a 5-2 victory over Big East foe No. 43 Notre Dame Sunday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.

The Hurricanes (7-0) fell early in the match with Notre Dame sweeping at the No. 1, 2 and 3 doubles spots to take the doubles point and a 1-0 lead over UM.

Miami would respond in singles play when sophomore Eric Hechtman downed Brent D’Amico in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 2 slot. Teammate sophomore Tim Krebs followed suite at the No. 4 spot, winning, 6-2, 6-3 over Barry King to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead over the Irish.

Freshman Josh Cohen improved to 7-0 in singles play on the season with a win over Notre Dame’s Matthew Scott, 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 1 position.

Miami led the match at 3-1 when the Irish struck back with Stephen Bass defeating sophomore John Hoyes, 7-5, 6-2 at No. 3.

Sophomore Jeremiah Fuller took the fifth and final point for the Hurricanes, upending Eric Langenkamp, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), (10-7).

“This was a big win for us, beating one of the Big East’s best teams in Notre Dame,” Head Coach Bryan Getz said.

Miami will return to action on Wednesday, March 3, hosting in-state foe Central Florida at 6 p.m. at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

-Compiled by the sports information department.