Miami basketball hopes to break five-game losing streak vs. Notre Dame

In a battle of a pair of teams having subpar seasons, the ACC’s last-place team the Miami Hurricanes will host Notre Dame who is currently tied for 11th. The Miami basketball team enters Wednesday night’s matchup with a five-game losing streak.

The Miami basketball team hosts the Fighting Irish with a 9-12 record overall and 1-8 in the ACC. Notre Dame is 12-10 overall and 2-7 in the conference. The Irish ended their own five-game losing streak on Saturday with a 79-72 victory at Boston College. Notre Dame swept the season series with the Eagles for their only two ACC victories in 2019.

The Miami basketball season is a lost one at this point for a variety of reasons. The biggest one has been having to use a seven-man rotation in every game. This is as close to a must-win game as the Hurricanes will have in 2019. Following Saturday’s game at North Carolina, the Hurricanes do not play a ranked team the remainder of February.

Saturday’s ten-point loss at Virginia was not indicative of how well Miami played. The played a smarter all-around game before faded late in the second half. Several makeable Hurricanes shots didn’t fall. That was one of the biggest differences in the game.

Virginia also dominated the boards in the first half and Miami’s poor three-point and free-throw shooting cost them in the loss to the Cavaliers. Miami goes from playing one of the best defensive teams in the country on Saturday against Virginia to a poor one in Notre Dame.

Miami should be able to refind its three-point shooting against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish are last in the ACC allowing teams to make 40.1 percent of their three-point attempts. Miami is ninth in the ACC making 33 percent of their attempts. A lot of that is due to their tough January schedule and Saturday’s game against Virginia.

The Hurricanes should get healthy from beyond the arc against Notre Dame. D.J. Vasiljevic could have a big game from deep. The Junior Aussie is third in the ACC making 39.5 percent of his three-point attempts.

Notre Dame is led by 6’9 242-pound Junior forward John Mooney who is returning to his home state to face the Hurricanes, Mooney who is from Orlando is averaging 14.5 points per game and 10.8 RPG. Mooney’s classmate Temple Gibbs is second on the Irish in scoring at 13.6 PPG and Sophomore D.J. Harvey third at 10.5 PPG and 4.4 RPG.

"GAME 22 • FEB. 6, 2019 • 7 P.M. • CORAL GABLES, FLA., Watsco Center (7,972)NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (12-10, 2-7 ACC)Head Coach: Mike Brey (George Washington, ‘82)Record at UND: 415-212 (19th season), Career Record: 514-264 (24th season)MIAMI HURRICANES (9-12, 1-8 ACC)Head Coach: Jim Larrañaga (Providence, ‘71)Record at UM: 170-91 (8th season), Career Record: 640-425 (35th season)Information Courtesy of HurricaneSports.Com"

Despite Miami and Notre Dame struggling this season, the game is getting national billing. The game will appear nationally on ESPN2 and will be broadcast on the Compass Radio Network across the country.

"Television: ESPN2; Online: WatchESPNPlay-by-Play: Mike Couzens, Color: Jordan CornetteRadio: WQAM 560-AM (PxP: Joe Zagacki)National Radio: Compass Media NetworksPxP: Jesse Agler, Color: Kelly TripuckaSatellite Radio: Sirius 133, XM 193, XM Internet 955Series vs. Notre Dame: Tied, 11-11Home: 5-5 | Road: 5-5 | Neutral: 1-1"

Notre Dame begins a stretch for Miami to close out February with their only game in the next six against a ranked team Saturday at North Carolina. Miami is 0-5 this season against ranked teams. All of those games have come in the ACC.

North Carolina won 113-96 against North Carolina last night at the Smith Center. It was the Tar Heels’ sixth game this season over 100 points and their third in the ACC. UNC won last month in Coral Gables.