Heading into the final game of the season, the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team (7-24, 3-17 ACC) was facing a six-game losing streak and sought to end their season on a positive note. They accomplished just that in a thrilling contest at the Watsco Center, battling back from a 13-point deficit to defeat the NC State Wolfpack (12-19, 5-15 ACC), 72-70, on Senior Day.
Down 10 at halftime, the ‘Canes pulled off a comeback that culminated in a game-winning slam by Senior Brandon Johnson with just one second remaining.
Senior Matthew Cleveland delivered a career performance in his final collegiate game, matching his career-high with 32 points and adding five rebounds and four blocks. Cleveland’s dominant performance kept Miami in it, as he generated most of the offense throughout the game.
The Wolfpack were in control for most of the contest, as they drained six three-pointers in the first half, led by senior Dontrez Styles, to take a 41-31 lead at the break.
Styles would continue the strong shooting from beyond the arc for NC State, connecting on a triple to extend their lead to 13 a minute into the second half. However, the Hurricanes would not go away, and were able to go on an 11-4 run to pull within four at the 12:35 mark.
Still, the ‘Canes found themselves down eight with five minutes remaining. It was at this point that Cleveland ignited Miami’s late-game surge, with a fastbreak layup that would spark a 10-2 run. A key three-pointer by junior A.J. Staton-Mccray left the game tied at 70 with 1:53 to go in the contest.
After a clutch block by Cleveland when NC State had a chance to take the lead, the Hurricanes retained possession with 23 seconds remaining.
With time winding down, Cleveland took it hard to the paint and tried to ice the game with a layup, but it bounced off the rim. However, Johnson was in prime position for the rebound and was able to complete the putback dunk to seal the comeback victory for Miami.
In addition to Cleveland’s career-high performance, Johnson achieved his second consecutive double-double, recording 10 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Jalil Bethea also contributed 10 points, shooting 100% from three-point range to help the Hurricanes’ comeback.