Canes bomb Wake, 96-87
February 18, 2023
Miami prolific offense was just too much for Wake Forest on Saturday at the Watsco Center.
The Canes’ guard combo of Isaiah Wong and Nigel Pack were unstoppable, scoring 27 and 24 points respectively. In all, Miami had four players in double figures.
“I thought our guys did a great job, yet we gave up 87 points,” said Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga. “The only way that we could counteract that was that we had to score a bunch of points ourselves.”
Miami forward Norchad Omier ignited the Canes' offense with nine early points on the the way to a 11-3 lead with only three minutes off the clock. He would go on to score the Hurricanes’ first nine points, propelling them to an early 11-3 lead three minutes in.
In the closing moment of the first half, Wong caught fire, scoring 13 straight points to propel the Canes to a double digit lead in just three minutes. The Demon Deacons fought back but Miami went to the break leading 47-44.
Miami again got off to a fast start in the second half regaining a double digit lead in the first 10 minutes of the half. Wake again came back and closed the gap to 71-68 with eight minutes left on the clock. The Canes kept the offensive pressure on Wake, extending the lead back to 81-71. A 3 pointer by Wooga Poplar and a dunk by Omier maintained Miami’s lead at 83-73 with five minutes left. Wake kept trying to maintain pace with Miami’s offense but just ran our of gas.
Miami finished with four players in double digits, with Wong leading the the CAnes’ scoring with 27 points, followed by Pack’s season-high 24 points, Omier’s 17 points, and Jordan Miller’s 14 points. Wake gave up had 19 turnovers, resulting in 34 Miami points. The Canes shot 58.7 percent (37 of 63) from the floor, eclipsing 90-points in conference play for the third time this season.
The Canes’ victory extended Miami’s win streak to six games. A sellout and loud crowd of 7,972 marked Miami’s second sellout in its last three home games.
Miami hits the road to Blacksburg on Tuesday for their final road contest. Tipoff is at 7:00 p.m. ET, with coverage on ESPNU.
GO Canes!
