Takeaways from Miami Hurricanes’ 82-78 Win Over Syracuse

After losing two of its last three games, Miami men’s basketball (15-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)) bounced back on Monday evening with an emphatic 82-78 win over Syracuse (12-7, 5-3 ACC)).

The Hurricanes were led in scoring by forward Norchad Omier, who had 16 points. Veteran center Jesse Edwards provided constant scoring production for the Orange, finishing with a game-high 21 points.

Here are five takeaways from UM’s home victory against Syracuse.

1. Miami showed resilience in the second half.

After jumping out to an early 11-2 lead in the first half, the Orange were in control for most of the first 20 minutes of action and held a four-point lead at halftime.

This momentum carried into the second half, as Syracuse extended its lead to as many as 11 with 14:50 remaining in the game.

Instead of backing down, the Hurricanes continued to fight, chipping away at the Orange’s lead and ended the game on an 11-5 scoring run to escape with a four-point victory.

“I feel like we got good stops and we also got some good possessions on offense and made our free throws,” fourth-year guard Harlond Beverly said to reporters after the game regarding Miami’s second-half comeback. “We hit some big shots … so that was a big boost for us.”

2. Jordan Miller impressed as a facilitator.

As a result of Syracuse’s zone defense, the ‘Canes were forced to switch up their usual offensive game plan that is centered around dribble penetration and shift to a pass-first approach to dice up this style of defense.

Guard Jordan Miller’s responsibility throughout many of UM’s offensive possessions was to flash to the high post of the floor and then either pass the ball or look for his shot from there.

The veteran excelled in this role, finishing with a game-high and career-high seven assists.

3. Miami’s late-game execution was excellent.

In Miami’s two ACC losses this season, the Hurricanes came up short after squandering late leads.

Against Georgia Tech, Miami held a four-point lead with 3:03 remaining in the game, and against North Carolina State, the Hurricanes had a three-point advantage with 3:04 left in regulation. UM was defeated in both of these contests.

This was not the case against Syracuse, as Miami took a one-point lead with 2:59 left in the second half and maintained the advantage throughout the remainder of the game.

4. Nijel Pack’s shooting kept the Hurricanes afloat.

The Hurricanes shot an underwhelming 30.4% from beyond the arc against Syracuse, but this was not the case for Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack, who knocked down five of the team’s seven made 3-pointers.

His ability to extend Syracuse’s defense vertically as a result of his shooting prowess from well behind the 3-point line created numerous ways for UM to attack the Orange’s zone.

Pack finished with 15 points, which is his second-high scoring output against ACC opponents this season.

5. Miami awaits road test against Duke.

Next up for Miami, it will face off against Duke (13-5, 4-3 ACC) on Saturday at the Cameron Indoor Stadium with tip-off set for noon. 

UM head coach Jim Larrañaga has had success against the Blue Devils throughout his tenure at Miami.

Larrañaga has totaled a 7-8 record versus Duke since he was hired as the Hurricanes’ head coach in 2011, including a 76-74 upset win over then-No.2 Duke last year.