The Miami basketball team travels to Philadelphia on Tuesday night to play the Pennsylvania Quakers. Miami has lost it’s last three games to fall to 5-3, while Penn enters the game 6-2.
The three straight losses to Seton Hall, Rutgers and Yale by the Miami basketball team were by a total of nine points. The Hurricanes game against Penn will be their sixth game in the last 10 days. The heavy schedule has impacted Miami down the stretch of games as the Hurricanes have a short bench.
The Hurricanes offense fizzled in Saturday’s loss to Yale. Miami led 56-41 with 17:37 left in the second half. Zach Johnson’s dunk with 10:53 remaining put the Hurricanes up 68-59. From that point forward Miami was outscored 18-5. Five points in nearly 11 minutes of playing time makes it nearly impossible to win a basketball game.
Miami has struggled this season to shut down the opposing team’s best scorer. Yale’s Miye Oni scored 29 in the Hurricanes loss to the Bulldogs. The Hurricanes have to do a better job defending the paint. Yale outscored UM 44-36 in the paint.
Penn is led by 6’0 guard Devan Goodman. Goodman averages 15.3 points per game, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists. The Hurricanes are going to have to contend with A.J. Brodeur up front. Brodeur is averaging 11.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg and has had triple-doubles in Penn’s last two games.
Ebuka Izundu just missed his third double-double of the season against Yale with 19 points and nine rebounds. Dejan Vasilevic had 17 points and made 4-10 on three-point field goals. Anthony Lawrence, Chris Lykes and Zach Johnson struggled mightily. They combined for 32 points on 12-34 from the floor and 2-15 on threes.
The game between Miami and Penn is likely to be high scoring. The Hurricanes are averaging 78.5 ppg this season, while Penn is at a 78.4 ppg. Miami is 106th in the nation in scoring and Penn is 109th. The Quakers are an exceptional shooting team and Miami has to especially be cognizant of the three-point line.
Penn ranks 30th in three-point attempts, 59th in three-pointers made and 56th in three-point percentage. Miami has been exceptional guarding the three-point line this season but has struggled defensively inside the arc. Hurricanes opponents shoot 27.3 percent on three-point attempts. That’s 26th nationally.
Miami opponents have made 51.6 percent of their two-point field goal attempts. The Hurricanes are 251st in the nation defending two-point field-goals. It’s mostly been because of perimeter players getting into the lane. Oni repeatedly burned Miami on dribble penetration on Saturday.
GAME 9 • DEC. 4, 2018 • 7 P.M. • PHILADELPHIA, PA.
"MIAMI HURRICANES (5-3)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, ‘71)Record at UM: 166-82 (8th season), Career Record: 636-416 (35th season)"
Information Courtesy of HurricaneSports.Com
Miami and Penn are playing for the tenth time. It is the first time they are playing on the Quakers’ home floor at the Palestra. Miami won the only meeting with Pennsylvania under Jim Larranaga two seasons ago 74-62 at the Watsco Center.
Larranaga and the Hurricanes have played against a Steve Donohue coached team nine previous times. Miami won all nine of those matchups. Larranaga swept four consecutive season series from Donohue while he at Boston College from 2010-14.
"PENN QUAKERS (6-2)Head Coach: Steve Donahue (Albany, ‘86)Record at Penn: 53-43 (4th season), Career Record: 253-257 (18th season)"
The Quakers are coached by former Boston College Head Coach Steve Donohue. Donohue began his coaching career with at Cornell from 2000-10. He led the Big Red to the NCAA Tournament appearances in his last three seasons in Ithaca. They advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2010 with convincing upsets of Temple and Wisconsin.
For the second straight game, there will not be a traditional telecast for the Hurricanes. It will only be available streaming online.
"Date/Time: Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018/7 p.m.Location: Philadelphia, Pa./The Palestra (8,722)Television: None; Online: ESPN+Play-by-play: Joe Tordy, Color: Vince CurranRadio: WOCN 1450 AM/101.9 FM (PxP: Joe Zagacki)Satellite Radio: XM 382, XM Internet 973Series vs. Penn: Miami leads, 6-3Home: 5-3 | Road: 0-0 | Neutral: 1-0"
After their difficult stretch in the last two weeks, the Miami basketball team will have the next 15 days off for final exams. The Hurricanes return home a week on December 19 to host Houston Baptist. The Huskies have a victory this season at Miami’s ACC rival Wake Forest.
The game against Houston Baptist is Miami’s first of three games in nine days. The Hurricanes host Florida Atlantic December 22 and Campbell December 29 before beginning ACC play by hosting North Carolina State January 4.