Miami basketball earns first winning streak of 2020 with victory over Wake Forest
The Miami basketball team used exceptional balance in a 71-54 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon. Six Hurricanes scored between eight and 13 points as Miami won back to back games for the first time in 2020.
The Miami basketball team never trailed in a 71-54 victory Wake Forest on Saturday. The triumph provided Miami with their first two-game winning streak since the calendar changed to 2020. The Hurricanes took control midway through the first half and never trailed throughout. Balanced scoring was the difference for Miami.
Junior point guard Chris Lykes and freshman wing Isaiah Wong led Miami with 13. Wong reached double figures for the seventh straight game. The seven straight games in double figures are all of the games in double-figure scoring for Wong this season. Senior Dejan Vasiljevic and redshirt junior Kameron McGusty had 11 each.
Redshirt junior center Rodney Miller just missed the second double-double of his career with eight points and 10 rebounds. Redshirt junior Sam Waardenburg finished with nine points and seven rebounds. One of the differences in the game was Miami keeping Wake Forest off the free-throw line.
The Demon Deacons entered the game in Coral Gables on Saturday afternoon in the top 50 in free throw attempts, free throws made and free throw percentage. Wake Forest was 6-13 from the free-throw line against Miami on Saturday. Guard Brandon Childress and forward Ismael Massoud did most of the scoring for Wake Forest.
Childress scored 15 on 5-12 from the floor and made 2-4 three-point attempts. Massoud made 5-7 from the floor and all three of his three-point attempts to finish with 13 points. The remainder of the Demon Deacons combined to score 26 points. Wake Forest shot 38.9 percent and committed 14 turnovers in the loss.
The Miami basketball team shot 40.3 percent from the floor but committed only eight turnovers and outrebounded Wake Forest 43-35. Saturday was only the seventh time this season in 25 games that the Hurricanes have outrebounded their opponent. At full strength Miami has shown they are a good team.
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The Hurricanes have to take the same type of energy they have used with a healthy team in the last two games on the road for their next three games. Miami plays at Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Georgia Tech before returning home to finish the season versus Virginia and Syracuse. The Hurricanes play at the Hokies Wednesday.