Miami, FL
CanesCounty – Live Game Thread and Preview: Miami Basketball At Wake Forest
DATE: Saturday, January 6, 2024
WHERE: Winston-Salem, NC, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
TIME/TV: 2:15 EST/CW Network
LIVE AUDIO: 560 WQAM
MIAMI: Official Website | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter
WAKE FOREST: Official Website | Schedule | Roster | Stats | Twitter
LINE: WAKE -4.5
Miami (11-2, 2-0 ACC) defeated Clemson 95-82 in its last game.
Wake Forest (10-3, 2-0 ACC) beat Boston College 84-78 in its last contest.
Series History
This will be the 30th overall meeting between Miami and unranked Wake Forest, with the Hurricanes holding the series’ narrow 16-13 advantage. Miami has struggled playing in Winston-Salem, posting a 2-11 mark on the road.
The programs met twice in 2022-23, with the Hurricanes winning both contests, one at home (96-87) and one in the ACC Tournament (74-72).
Last Game
Miami recorded its first ranked win of the season on Wednesday, downing the No. 16 Clemson Tigers, 95-82, at the Watsco Center.
As a team, Miami shot 53 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from the 3-point range. The Hurricanes’ 75 percent shooting effort in the second half was the first time a Mami team shot better than 70 percent in a half since 2017 (70 percent vs. Middle Tennessee).
Three Hurricanes recorded 20-plus-point outings vs. Clemson–Nijel Pack (25), Matthew Cleveland (23) and Norchad Omier (23). This is the fourth time in the Jim Larrañaga era that three players have scored 20-plus points in the same game. All four have come in the last five years, with the most recent vs. Louisville on Feb. 11, 2023 (Pack – 22, Omier – 21, Isaiah Wong – 21).
Miami shot 75 percent from the field in the second half vs. Clemson, its highest shooting percentage in a half since joining the ACC (2004-05). The previous mark was 73.9 percent (17-23) at Florida State on Feb. 13, 2013. Pack and Cleveland were each a perfect 6-6 from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range. Cleveland knocked down a pair of shots from the charity stripe, while Pack went 6-for-6 at the line.
In Miami’s game against Clemson, its 95 points came from the starting five. Since 1996, Miami is one of 13 teams to score 95-plus points and have zero points from the bench, per Stats Perform. The Hurricanes have played nine games since 1996, where the bench contributed zero points (regardless of point total), all of which have occurred since 2017.
Notable Miami Statistics
Miami is one of two teams (Creighton) with three players averaging 15+ points and 5+ rebounds per game this year (Omier, Cleveland, Wooga Poplar).
Forward Omier eclipsed the 1,500-point mark in his career two games ago, pouring in 27 points vs. UNF. He is one of three active Division I players to record 1,500 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
Omier has been playing some of his best basketball lately, averaging 23.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 72 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free-throw line over the last four games.
He currently ranks first in the ACC in double-doubles and is one of three ACC players to rank in the top 10 in the conference in scoring (seventh) and rebounding (third).
When playing 19-plus minutes, Kyshawn George averages 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Pack dominated the court in his first game back from a lower extremity injury, pouring in a game-best 25 points for his second 20-point outing of the season. Pack shot 75 percent from 3-point range in the game and was a perfect 6-of6 from the field in the second half.
Twenty of Pack’s 25 points came during the final 20 minutes of action. The guard added five rebounds, three assists, and a steal to his stat line. Over the last five games, Pack has shot 64.7 percent from the 3-point range, averaging 13.8 points per contest.
The Hurricanes have eclipsed the 90-point mark six times this year, marking the 18th time a Miami team has scored 90-plus points six times in a season. The record for 90-point games by a Miami team is 16, set back in 1988-89. The Hurricanes have scored 90-plus points in three straight games for the first time since 2015-16.
The Hurricanes will play just their second true road contest of the season on Saturday. Miami is 0-1 on the road this year, falling at No. 12 Kentucky in November.
Miami is 278-412 all-time in road games and 156-252 since the program’s rebirth in 1985. Under Coach L, Miami holds a 70-69 record on the road.
The Opponent
Notable Wake Forest Statistics
The Demon Deacons enter Saturday’s contest with a 10-3 overall mark and undefeated in ACC play (2-0), tied with Miami atop the ACC standings.
Four Demon Deacons are averaging double-figures this season, paced by Hunter Sallis at 18.4 points per game. Wake Forest is led in rebounding by Efton Reid at nine boards per contest. Wake Forest’s only three losses of the season have come to Power 5 teams (Georgia, Utah, and LSU).
The Demon Deacons enter the contest on an eight-game winning streak, the longest since 2008-09, when Wake won 16 in a row. The Deacs have a plus-150 point differential for an average margin of victory of 18.8 during that span.
Offensively, Wake Forest is the only school in Division I to have four players averaging 14.5+ points per game, with Hunter Sallis, Boopie Miller, Andrew Carr, and Cameron Hildreth all adding over 14.5 points per game.
Wake is fourth in the league and 39th in the country in field goal percentage, shooting 48.4 percent from the field as a team. They are fifth in the league in scoring margin, beating teams by an average of 12.85 points.
Wake’s 81.5 points per game are fifth in the league in scoring offense, and their average of 8.3 made threes per game is fourth. The Deacs are shooting a .379 clip from a 3-point range, which is third-best in the ACC.
Defensively, the Deacs are 6th in the ACC in scoring defense, limiting teams to 68 points per game on 42 percent from the field. Individually, Carr is 7th in the ACC in blocked shots, with 22 total and 1.69 per game.
The Deacs are currently 4th in the country and second in the ACC in free throw percentage, shooting 80.16 percent from the line as a team. Miami is 3rd and first, respectively, hitting 80.18. Individually, Hildreth is 8th in the ACC, shooting 84.2 from the line.
Miami Athletics and Wake Forest Athletics Contributed to this report
Talk with Canes Fans about the game on Inside Canes Hoops
To no one’s surprise, FC Cincinnati and Inter Miami CF engaged in a scorefest May 13 at TQL Stadium.
A hat trick by one of the best goalscorers in the history of the game, Lionel Messi, sparked Miami to a 5-3 win. Miami scored three times from the 79th minute on to come from behind.
A sellout crowd of 25,513 witnessed the showdown, the club’s sixth home sellout of the season.
FC Cincinnati falls to 4-5-4, staying at 16 points, taking its first loss since April 4 at Red Bull New York. Miami improves to 7-2-4 for 25 points, improving to 7-1-1 on the road this season. Miami moved into second place in the Eastern Conference behind Nashville. Cincinnati started the night tied for fifth but could drop depending on games later on.
Second half highlights as FC Cincinnati squandered a late lead
Cincinnati took a 3-2 lead in the 64th minute.
Evander fired a rocket from the top of the 18 into the top left corner. Deneky passed ahead to him, then he maneuvered around two defenders, and no one stepped up to him. It is Evander’s seventh goal of the season.
Miami tied it in the 80th minute, 3-3.
After a Cincy turnover, Rodrigo De Paul quickly found Messi in transition, who delivered to Mateo Silvetti. Silvetti, playing his first game in a month, maneuvered in space and scored from the top of the box for his fourth of the season.
Miami took a 4-3 lead in the 83rd. A Messi free kick from 35 yds was saved by Cincy keeper Roman Celentano. He collided with Andrei Chirila, which knocked the ball out of his hands. Miami’s German Berterame pounced on the rebound to give Miami the lead, his fourth goal of the season.
Chirila landed hard after the collision and was taken out of the game.
Miami took a 5-3 lead when Messi made a sliding shot after a cross from Silvetti. The ball went off the post, then off Roman Celentano, who was on his stomach trying to get the ball, then in. Messi was credited with the goal and a hat trick.
FC Cincinnati took a 2-1 lead in the 49th minute.
Pavel Bucha scored from close range. He took a crossing pass from Bryan Ramirez after Denkey found him on the left side in transition.
It was Bucha’s second goal of the MLS season and the second assist for Ramirez. Bucha was hit in the head late in the first half and examined by trainers, but stayed in the game.
Moments later, Messi had a free kick from 30 yards saved by Celentano.
Messi scored again in the 56th minute to tie it, 2-2. He had a nice give-and-go with Rodrigo De Paul, who dribbled near the end line and crossed to him from the right side. Messi was unmarked and scored easily from near the penalty spot.
In the 62nd minute, Luis Suarez missed an open shot that Celentano saved, set up by a quick transition by Miami.
Miami ended with 17 shots to 10 for Cincinnati, six on target. After an even first half, Miami controlled the expected-goals mark, with 4 to 1.6 for the home team.
First half highlights
Messi scored from close range in the 24th off a turnover by Matt Miazga. Miazga tried to pass to a teammate on the side but the pass went straight to Messi.
He had a goal in the fifth minute waved off by offsides.
In the 32nd minute, Cincinnati won a corner kick, which Evander placed right in front of the goal line but the ball was cleared away.
In the 42nd minute, a Kevin Denkey penalty kick tied it up. Denkey drew the PK after collecting a good pass into the box by Pavel Bucha and being grabbed by Gonzalo Lujan. Denkey converted for his team-high eighth goal of the season.
The first half was tied 1-1 and virtually even on statistics. Both sides had seven shots, one on goal, and 1.1 expected goals. Neither keeper made a save.
What’s next for FC Cincinnati?
Cincinnati heads to the West Coast to play San Diego FC 9:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16. It is the first meeting between the teams. San Diego, 3-5-4 for 13 points, was set to play Austin later May 13. Cincinnati will leave for California on May 14.
A wildfire has scorched over 11,000 acres in Florida’s Everglades, just outside the Miami metro suburbs, prompting officials to warn nearby residents of dangerous smoke.
The Max Road Miramar Fire is straddling the line between Miami-Dade and Broward counties. At least 11,000 acres have been burned, and the fire is 80% contained, according to the Florida Forest Service.
The fire was first reported Sunday. The Pembroke Pines Police Department said that drivers stopping to watch the fires along US-27 were causing dangerous traffic backups.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said they were working with state forest officials to protect nearby properties.
Florida Senator Rick Scott urged people on social media to adhere to any local road closures.
Aerial footage showed flames in the vicinity of a local subdivision, and smoke could be seen billowing for miles.
This comes in the middle of Florida’s wildfire season, which is being compounded by a historic drought ongoing across the state.
Almost 2,000 wildfires have burned nearly 120,000 acres just since the start of the year, the forest service said earlier this month.
Wildfires south of Jacksonville canceled and delayed Amtrak service last month.
While the vast majority of the state is under Exceptional or Extreme Drought conditions, Miami itself is roughly an inch below average rainfall, year-to-date.
However, parts of the Everglades are also experiencing Extreme Drought.
Fire officials are warning residents to take precautions if smoke is impacting your area. Those with respiratory conditions, older adults and children may be especially sensitive to smoke exposure.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is advising people to stay indoors when possible and set home and vehicle A/C systems to recirculate.
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