The University of Miami women’s basketball team came up just short on Saturday night, falling 64–61 to No. 19 Iowa. In a tightly contested matchup at the WBCA Showcase in Orlando, Miami’s unbeaten start to the season ended, dropping the Hurricanes to 4–1.
Miami entered confidently, but Iowa’s efficient scoring and interior presence proved to be the deciding factor. The Hurricanes fought with resilience until the final second, with three players finishing in double digit points.
Freshman guard Amarachi Kimpson led the Canes with a season-high 19 points, while senior forward Ra Shaya Kyle added 17 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Vittoria Blasigh rounded out Miami’s top performers with 11 points.
Overall Miami shot a frustrating 38.6 percent from the field, but thanks to forcing 16 Iowa turnovers stayed in the game throughout.
Iowa opened the matchup with six unanswered points beforeKimpson finally put Miami on the board with back-to-back buckets to cut the deficit to 6–4. The Hawkeyes kept control, extending their lead to 12–4, but Miami settled in and closed the quarter on a six-point run, narrowing Iowa’s lead to just 14–13.
The second quarter brought more of the same, with Miami still searching for offensive rhythm. The Hurricanes created quality looks but struggled to finish, opening the period just 1-for-6 from the field. A timeout from UM head coach Tricia Cullop helped reset the team, and the adjustment worked; Miami held Iowa scoreless for the next two minutes, cutting the deficit to 24–19. Strong free-throw shooting (8-for-10) kept the Hurricanes within reach, sending them into halftime trailing 36–28.
The Hurricanes came out of the locker room with renewed energy. Kyle set the tone early, scoring Miami’s first six points of the third quarter, while Gal Raviv kept the offense moving with three assists. Kimpson added five more points as Miami clawed its way back into contention, but Iowa maintained control and carried a 55–46 lead into the final quarter.
Despite trailing most of the way, Miami refused to surrender. The Hurricanes chipped the deficit down to four at 61–57,their closest margin since early in the second quarter. Kyle muscled in a driving layup with two minutes remaining to cut it to 61–59, keeping the game within one possession. But in the final seconds, Iowa stayed steady at the line, sinking two free throws with 11 seconds left and two more on their final trip to secure the 64–61 win.
Despite the loss, the performance showed Miami could hang with the big teams, as the ’Canes turn their attention to facing George Washington on Nov. 28 at 1:30 p.m. ET.
