Bob Donnan- US Presswire
If you were looking for a fast-paced, high scoring thriller, Sunday night’s game between The Miami Hurricanes and Maryland Terrapins wasn’t for you. The Hurricanes topped Maryland 54-47 in a defensive battle, emerging as a dangerous sleeper in the ACC.
The Hurricanes are on a four game win streak, and have managed to start 3-0 in the conference for the first time in school history. They have found success without their starting center Reggie Johnson, who was averaging 12.6 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.
Miami came into tonight’s match-up unranked in either of the two major polls (AP and USA Today/ESPN), but tonight’s victory solidified the Hurricanes as a real threat in the NCAA.
Beating Maryland wasn’t an easy task by any means. The Terrapins came into Coral Gables with a 13-2 record, and were on a 13-game win streak before falling to Florida State last week.
Defense was the key to Miami’s success at the BankUnited Center by limiting Maryland’s possessions and forcing them to rely on two players. Dez Wells knotted up 18 points for the Terrapins, while Alex Len finished with 16. There wasn’t another player on Maryland’s roster with more than four points.
Though the Hurricanes haven’t been popular with the polls, the computers see them as one of the nation’s top squads. Going into tonight’s game, Miami was ranked No. 7 in the RPI rankings behind only Duke, Kansas, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota and Gonzaga.
Tonight’s victory will help them gain some national attention, and they may sneak their way into the spotlight this week.
Miami has faced some adversity and come out strong within the conference. They are getting hot at the right time and will make things interesting within the ACC.
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