It began with a coronation and ended in a court-storming in Coral Gables.
Not bad for a Tuesday night in February.
On an evening where Miami football’s national champion runner-up season was celebrated in front of a sold out crowd at the Watsco Center, the Hurricanes hoops toppled No. 11 North Carolina 75-66 in the first statement win for the program since hiring head coach Jai Lucas, never trailing at any point.
The landmark result marks the team’s first ranked victory since Jan. 18, 2024, when the Hurricanes last beat No. 16 Clemson. Miami had not taken down an UNC squad since 2018, when Ja’Quan Newton’s game-winning buzzer-beater shot propelled UM to a 91-88 win against the No. 9 Tar Heels.
It was a contest that required an all-hands-on-deck performance from the Canes, and everyone delivered.
Four of Miami’s five starters finished in double figures, led by Malik Reneau and Ernest Udeh Jr., who each recorded double-doubles. Udeh controlled the interior, pouring in a season-high 15 points while hauling in 10 rebounds for his fifth of the season.
The Hurricanes now improve to 19-5 on the season and are 8-3 in ACC play. At this same time last year, Miami was last in the conference with a 2-11 record and went on to end the season with only seven wins.
Needless to say, Lucas has orchestrated quite the turnaround in year one. More impressively, he has done so with a completely revamped roster that has not returned a single player from UM’s 2024-25 campaign.
The ranked victory now dramatically boosts Miami’s chances at cementing an NCAA Tournament berth, bolstering its resumé with a much-needed Quadrant 1 win. Although still sitting on the bubble and not entirely immune from being left out, Tuesday’s momentum has the Canes trending in the right direction.
Early on, both sides were scorching hot on the offensive end. Reneau, who had registered his seventh double-double by the end, opened the night with a team-high 10 points through the first 20 minutes of action. Miami shot 58% from the floor in the first half and significantly benefitted off turnovers, forcing 8 that led to easy scoring in transition.
However, the two squads remained in lockstep with one another heading into the break. North Carolina was unstoppable from behind the line, shooting 54% and going 7-13 from three-point range to prevent the Hurricanes from pulling away, trailing only 43-40 when the first half expired.
The scoring production cooled down for Miami and UNC in the second frame, drastically slowing the rhythm and tempo as the offensive numbers plummeted.
UM went 0-6 from the perimeter while the Tar Heels were 1-14 from beyond the arc. Neither team shot over 36% from the field in the last 20 minutes.
Despite the lackluster showing after halftime, Miami was able to rely on its frontcourt when all else failed, dominating North Carolina in points in the paint by a margin of 46-28.
The Canes outscored and outrebounded UNC underneath, which proved to be the difference maker at a time where mid-range and three-point shots were hard to come by.
Miami’s success in the low block over the entire night came as no surprise to Lucas, who acknowledged that supremacy in this area has become a defining characteristic of the group’s identity.
“We didn’t do anything special,” Lucas said. “We didn’t do anything different. I mean, you look at our box score, and this is what we usually do. It’s 46 points in the paint. 12 offensive rebounds. Doubled on their free throws.”
“This is Miami basketball,” he said.
For Lucas, the result was also validating, showing what the team was capable of achieving when they don’t get in their own way with mistakes of their own making.
“Everything that has gone bad for us has been self-inflicted,” Lucas said. “There hasn’t been one game I’ve watched, except for maybe the Clemson game, where I’ve said, ‘All right, maybe it’s something else.’”
Udeh agreed.
“A team has never truly just beaten us,” he said. “We beat ourselves whenever we put ourselves in certain positions. The most important thing for us is just, whether win or loss, go into practice the next day, watch the film, talk over it, and do better the next time.”
The Hurricanes will look to use this performance as a launchpad that elevates their play going forward. The focus now shifts toward Saturday’s contest in Raleigh against NC State. Tip-off at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum is slated for 4 p.m. on ESPN2.
