The student section was not the only thing that was missing from Saturday’s men’s basketball game – Miami’s rebounding was somewhat scarce as well. Miami men’s basketball continued its losing streak with a fourth straight loss, falling to Charleston Southern 83-79 on Saturday afternoon in Coral Gables.
The Hurricanes started off strong with a quick 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game. This was short-lived, though, as Buccaneers guard RJ Johnson’s three-pointer led the scoring run for his team, hurling them into the lead.
Towards the end of the first half, Miami received two technical fouls, one being a Class A technical on Brandon Johnson and the other from head coach Jim Larrañaga. Charleston Southern saw this opportunity to capitalize on these moments and did exactly that. Miami finished the half down 45-37.
UM came into the second half eager for a comeback, but it did not get close enough. The ‘Canes brought the deficit to seven points, but Charleston Southern did not back down. The Buccaneers came out hot to start the second half, strengthening their lead to 13 points, and a comeback seemed unlikely for the Hurricanes.
With eight minutes left in the game, Johnson’s three-pointer caused an eruption in the crowd as he tied the score up 64-64. Fans were on the edge of their seats with their newfound hope in Miami. Lynn Kidd’s and-one layup brought the Hurricanes to a 79-75 lead, but that was the end of their offensive scoring.
After a three-pointer from Johnson, who had a team-high 23 points, gave UM a two-point lead, it struggled to make the offensive plays it needed to secure the win and ultimately lost. While the Hurricanes outscored the Buccaneers 42-38 in the second half, their burst of energy late in the game was not enough to overtake them.
Miami looks to break its losing streak in a matchup with Arkansas on Tuesday night at the Watsco Center.