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| Tonye Jekiri (Photo Credit: University of Miami) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner (@Canedude08)
Canes Rising Contributor
It was a tale of two halves for the Miami Hurricanes, who rode an impressive second half performance to a win over the Alabama Crimson Tide. The 73-66 final score may look like the end result of a nailbiter, but it wasn't close for most of the second half as the 'Canes took control of the game, maintaining a double digit lead for much of the latter stages. The 'Canes will now face the winner of the Richmond/Arizona State. If the Sun Devils win, the 'Canes will host, but if the Spiders come out on top, Miami will be forced to travel.
Quick Shots
In the Zone--Alabama finished the first half on a run, and looked to be in control of the game. Miami went to a zone defense early in the second half, and it exposed Alabama as a one dimensional team, a team whose outstanding shooting was a mirage. The Crimson Tide finished the game shooting 22.7% from three, and 39.3% overall. The zone also forced the Tide to drive into a sea of bodies, which led to turnovers. Jim Larranaga doesn't go to the zone often, but when he does, the 'Canes respond well, last week's Notre Dame game is a great example.
Chipping In--Sheldon McClellan had his worst game of the season, scoring a paltry two points, however his struggles weren't the lead story, the contributions of his teammates were. Jim Larranaga got a boost from his bench, especially Deandre Burnett. 'Dre scored thirteen points, and provided offense when Miami looked to be dead in the water. It looks like he's finally accepted his role coming off of the bench, a good sign for the future. Ivan Cruz-Uceda was solid as well, scoring nine points, and grabbing seven rebounds. Cruz-Uceda showed a bit of everything, great footwork in the post, and a sweet stroke from the perimeter. He wasn't the only big nailing threes, Omar Sherman chipped in as well. Alabama made a concerted effort to shut McClellan down, however they couldn't stop everyone else.
Davon R33D--Sheldon may have struggled, but Davon didn't, scoring fifteen points, and snagging eight rebounds. Davon has struggled with consistency throughout the season, but he was on today, and it showed early. Reed connected on his first couple of shots, helping Miami get started, and out to an early lead. The biggest play of the day for Davon wasn't a shot, it was a hustle rebound that allowed Miami to bleed the clock late in the game, when it looked like Alabama was ready to put a little pressure on the 'Canes.
Manu Lecomte--This was one of Manu's best performances of the season. He was given the ball by Jim Larranaga, and he didn't relinquish it, scoring a team high seventeen points. While he did have three turnovers, he was steady throughout the game, and put Miami in position to go on a game breaking run. Following his performance against NCCU, questions arose about Manu's decision making ability. That was put to rest today as Manu exploited 'Bama, and got to the open parts of the floor. He was also aggressive, driving into the lane, forcing the Crimson Tide to foul. His assertiveness was a major reason why the 'Canes were able to get into the bonus so early in the second half. Angel Rodriguez may not play the rest of the season, this is valuable experience for Manu. It's been assumed that Ja'Quan Newton is the emerging point guard, maybe Manu is ready to push 'Quan. The program would benefit greatly if Manu can become a pesky backup.
It's All in the Details--Miami turned the ball over nine times in the first half, thanks to some awful decision making, and some decent defense. In the second half, Miami only coughed it up twice, a tribute to an emphasis on decision making. High risk passes were significantly reduced, and Miami didn't settle for bad shots. Ball rotation improved dramatically, with players looking to get inside, and then distribute. This attention to detail also showed itself on the glass as the 'Canes out rebounded Alabama by eleven. The Crimson Tide spent a majority of the game out of position when shots went up because the 'Canes boxed out, and attacked the glass. While the attention to detail was great, there was one detail that slipped through the cracks: making layups. Miami did an awful job of finishing around the basket with numerous layups rimming out. The 'Canes have to do a better job of finishing through contact, and turning high percentage looks into points.
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