Jordan Miller and Nijel Pack lead Miami basketball win over North Carolina
Jordan Miller scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds and Nijel Pack scored 23 including making four of his six three-point attempts as the Miami basketball team won its fifth straight game 80-72 at North Carolina. Miami improves to 21-5 overall and 12-4 in the ACC into a virtual first-place tie with Pittsburgh and Virginia.
After leading 35-34 at halftime, the Miami basketball team outscored North Carolina 17-6 to begin the second half. Miami led by as many as 14 points in the second half before North Carolina cut the deficit to four with 36 seconds remaining. The Hurricanes made seven of eight free throws in the final 36 seconds to secure the win.
Miami shot 46.4 percent from the field, six of 13 on three-point attempts and made 22 of 26 free throws. North Carolina shot 43.9 percent from the floor but made just five of its 31 three-point attempts and nine of 15 free throws. Miami outrebounded North Carolina 40-32. That was with Norchad Omier playing 23 minutes.
Omier picked up two fouls and only played six minutes in the first half. With Omier out North Carolina star Armando Bacot scored 10 points in the first half on 4-5 from the floor. Miami held Bacot to two first-half rebounds without Omier. With Omier playing 18 minutes in the second half Bacot scored two points with two rebounds.
Bacot was limited by his own foul trouble in the second half picking up his fourth with 12:10 remaining. Omier scored only five points on 1-7 from the floor but grabbed all seven of his rebounds in the second half. R.J. Davis led North Carolina with 23 points and Caleb Love scored 20 the day before Valentine’s Day.
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Turnovers were kept to a minimum in a high-scoring game. Miami finished with 13 turnovers and North Carolina had nine. The Hurricanes finished with an 11-7 advantage in points off of turnovers. Miami will return home to host Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon with a 2 PM ET tipoff.