Late collapse costs Miami basketball team win versus Florida State
The Miami basketball team could not hold on to a nine-point lead with under five minutes remaining in regulation and suffered their most heartbreaking loss of the year, 83-79 in overtime at the Watsco Center on Saturday afternoon.
Leading 65-56 at the five-minute mark of the second half the Miami basketball team was unable to hold the lead. Florida State went on a 13-4 run to close regulation out. Harlon Beverly appeared to draw a blocking foul with 27 seconds remaining before it was reversed by replay. FSU did not convert sending the game to overtime.
Miami was done in by their own mistakes for the second straight game. The Hurricanes committed 24 turnovers, including several late in the second half and overtime and missed seven free throws in the narrow four-point loss. A Chris Lykes miss on the front end of a one and one was particularly costly.
Lykes’ miss came with Miami up three with 1:34 remaining in regulation. The Hurricanes received another chance to extend the lead after a Dejan Vasiljevic steal on the ensuing Florida State possession. Another Lykes turnover preceded a three-point shot by M.J. Walker of Florida State to tie the game.
A win over the Seminoles would have been the biggest by far this season by Miami. It would have improved the Hurricanes to 11-6 overall. Instead, the Miami basketball team drops to 10-7 with a trip to number three Duke on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils pounded Miami 95-62 in Coral Gables earlier this month.
Florida State is currently 14th in the NCAA Net ratings, which have replaced the RPI to determine the strength of college basketball teams. It also would have given Miami a quadrant one victory. Now Miami faces the likelihood without a hot end to the remainder of the season they will miss their second straight NCAA Tournament.
The depth of Florida State played a huge role in the Seminoles’ road victory on their rivals’ home floor. Four Hurricanes played at least 35 minutes and six played at least 25. Only two players for the Seminoles played at least 35 minutes. Leonard Hamilton played nine different players double figures in minutes.
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Lykes had 24, Vasiljevic 19 and Kam McGusty had 15 points and six assists. Miami will make a return trip to play Florida State in Tallahassee on February 8. Miami does not have another ranked team on their schedule other than Duke and FSU. Devin Vassell led FSU with 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, Walker scored 19.