After losing to the No.1 Tennessee on Tuesday, Miami men’s basketball headed back home in need of a win to end a seven-game skid. Shooting a new school record 67% from the field, the Hurricanes blew out Presbyterian 94-75.
Miami’s offense has struggled this season from beyond the arc, so this game it made a concerted effort to attack the paint early and often. With Nijel Pack out, big man Lynn Kidd and Brandon Johnson became the hub of the offense. The duo scored 19 of the Hurricanes’ first 20 points and combined for 27 in the first half: 14 for Kidd and 13 for Johnson.
This activity from Miami’s frontcourt got them active on the boards as well. Kidd came down with nine. This included five offensive rebounds, leading to nine second chance points. Kidd finished the game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. This was his second consecutive double-double and a new career-high mark in assists. Johnson finished with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists.
“I think when your four and five are that productive it’s terrific and you can keep going to them and they can go to each other,” UM head coach Jim Larrañaga said to reporters.
That set the tone for what Miami wanted to do, and though the game was within reach for the Blue Hoses, a stretch of 14 consecutive made field goals allowed Miami to pull away slowly. The work inside the paint made room for shooters like Jalen Blackmon, who made three shots from behind the arc in the first half. A 71% shooting half gave Miami a 16-point lead, and just days after scoring just 25 against Tennessee, the ’Canes went into the second half leading 49-33.
In the second half, not much changed, as Miami kept its foot on the gas offensively, finishing with 94 points, its highest scoring output in almost a month.
Matthew Cleveland made his return to the starting lineup after a four-game stretch on the bench, and in the second half, he made the most of his starting role. After scoring just four points in the first half, he didn’t miss any of his seven second-half attempts and scored 20 second-half points. Between making timely cuts to the basket and spotting up on the perimeter for three, Cleveland didn’t force the issue, and the offense came his way, leading to a career-high 24 points.
Cleveland has played a bunch of different roles throughout the season. After being a mainstay starter last year he’s moved in and out of the rotation and he seems ready for whatever the rest of the season will bring.
“If it’s playing five minutes, 10 minutes, off the bench, I just want to have a good, last-year winning season,” Cleveland said. “The role for me is to do whatever it takes to help the team win.”
The move of starting Cleveland, as well as freshman point guard Divine Ugochukwu marked what Larrañaga notes as a sixth different starting lineup in 11 games, just between his guards.
“Six different starting lineups in 11 games that’s not what you want as a coach,” Larrañaga said.
It’s been a rough season and likely frustrating for everyone involved, but to Kidd, the team’s bond has kept them focused and driven regardless of the results.
“You have to stay together no matter what, and I think we’ve done a good job of that and we’re looking forward to the rest of the season,” he said.
Miami’s roster is littered with upperclassmen who have seen it all and been through a lot. Miami’s trio of 20-point scorers – Cleveland, Kidd and Johnson – are all seniors. Can these upperclassmen help lead Miami back on track and use this win as a launchpad for the rest of the season?
The Hurricanes’ next game will be Saturday, Dec. 21 at home, hosting Mount St. Mary’s. Tip-off is at 2 p.m.