It’s a tough time to be a Miami Hurricane. With the Gators on top of the football and basketball world and Miami’s two season football drought against the Seminoles, it has to hurt to be a ‘Cane.
This pain was only added to on Saturday, as the ‘Canes were blasted by the Florida State Seminoles (14-5, 2-3 ACC). The 86-67 loss marked Miami’s largest margin of defeat of all time to the Seminoles.
Although, from the score, it might seem that the loss was only 19 points, and it may seem like there has been worse before, this game wasn’t even as close as the box score indicates. This is indicated by the 33 point 83-50 lead the Seminoles held with 4:15 to go in the game.
The Hurricanes, up until the final minutes of the first half, looked like they had a shot of hanging around, as the team, despite playing quite poorly, was only down by 10 with 4:43 to go. This was partly due to the scrappy play of forward Brian Asbury. The game, from that point on, spiraled out of control, as Miami went into the half down 19.
The major difference in the game had to be Florida State’s ability to knock down three point shots from just about anywhere. The Seminoles hit 13 threes in the game, but more impressive was the fact that they shot 56.5 percent from downtown. The Hurricanes, on the other hand, managed to hit eight triples, but they only managed to shoot 26.7 percent from three-point land.
The loss, the third in a row for the team, leaves the feeling that the Hurricanes (9-11, 2-4 ACC) may be in trouble. They have lost their last three games in similar fashion, as the team has scored between 63 and 67 points and allowed between 82 and 86 points. Additionally, the Hurricanes have allowed the opposition to shoot at least 14.5 percent better than them from the field.
This, mixed in with injuries that left Miami’s front court nearly decimated, proves to be a major concern for the ‘Canes, especially since guard Jack McClinton is not playing anywhere near as productive as he was during the first 10 to 12 games of the season.
The thing the Hurricanes have to keep in mind is that their road does not get any easier. From here on out, they have to play No. 25 Virginia Tech twice, No. 4 North Carolina, No. 16 Clemson, Florida State and Wake Forest and Boston College.
The key for the Hurricanes will be their shooting. As the Hurricanes have a depleted front line, they will have to rely on their ability to drive or drive and kick to the open man.
This team is young, and with the amount of injuries they have faced, it is a wonder they have not rolled over and raised the white flag. This team has fight and as long as they have that they will continue to play through the woes and remain a team that could give aspiring teams many problems.
Pravin Patel may be contacted at p.patel7@umiami.edu.