Miami Fends off Comeback Attempt by Clemson in 78-74 Win

Up 70-67 with 1:26 remaining in the second half, the Hurricanes were facing an all-too-familiar situation: a late lead on the road.

Miami was in a similar spot against Georgia Tech, North Carolina State and Pitt, and the ‘Canes fell short in each of those contests. This wasn’t the case against Clemson, as UM used a colossal second-half effort from guards Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar and Isaiah Wong to stifle a late comeback attempt from the Tigers and win, 78-74.

Pack, whose 17-point, five-minute stretch in the game before sealed a UM victory over Virginia Tech, commanded the Hurricanes’ closing period yet again. 

The sophomore guard had 14 points in the second half and finished with a game-high 20.

“Our team really held its poise, did a lot of terrific things to score the ball and keep us out in front,” UM head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “Once we got the 10-point lead, I think our players felt very very confident going down the stretch.”

The first half was closely contested, with each team receiving key contributions from its leading forward.

Jordan Miller paced the ‘Canes in the open period. He had nine of his 12 points in the game’s first 20 minutes and led Miami in scoring at the half.

The Tigers were led by Hunter Tyson, who efficiently diced up UM’s defense, scoring 11 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting from the field. He also had seven first-half rebounds.

Tyson finished the contest with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Fourth-year guard Harlond Beverly played a huge role off Miami’s bench in the first half, scoring seven points and dishing out an assist to guard Nijel Pack with 1:32 left until the break that halted a 7-0 Clemson scoring run.

“He was great. His defense was terrific,” Larrañaga said about Beverly’s first-half performance. “You have to have a contribution from your bench. The five starters did their job but if we don’t have a contribution from the bench, it’s hard to win.

Hurricanes leading scorer Isaiah Wong had a quiet opening half with only four points but got it going in the closing period and finished with 16 points.

The two teams were tied at 35 at halftime.

Miami came out of the break red-hot offensively.

The Hurricanes scored 17 points in the first six minutes of the second half, shooting 6-of-9 from the field. They also made four 3-pointers during this span, which is more than the three jumpers from deep they nailed in the first half.

UM’s lead extended to as much as 12 after a pair of made free throws from forward Norchad Omier with 11:10 remaining in the game before Clemson began chipping away at the Hurricanes’ lead.

Clemson cut the deficit to as little as two, but Miami, which out-rebounded the much taller Tigers by 10, did just enough to escape Littlejohn Coliseum with the win.

Miami’s ability to make a quick turnaround will be tested on Monday, as it will play Duke, which beat UM 68-66 in the first meeting between the two squads. Tip-off from the Watsco Center is scheduled for 7 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN.