TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team (15-16, 6-14 ACC) fell to the Florida State Seminoles (16-15, 10-10 ACC), 83-75, Saturday afternoon at the Donald L Tucker Civic Center.
Four Hurricanes scored in double figures, paced by junior Bensley Joseph, who scored 17 points for his sixth consecutive double-digit outing.
Fourth-year junior Norchad Omier recorded his 16th double-double of the season, hauling 17 rebounds and 16 points in the contest. Omier’s 17 rebounds tied his season high, set earlier this year against Stonehill.
Juniors Matthew Cleveland and Wooga Poplar also scored in double-figures, totaling 16 and 12 points, respectively.
“From the defensive standpoint, we did okay on the first shot, but their offensive rebounds just absolutely killed us,” head coach Jim Larrañaga said. “They ended up with 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 points. When you play good defense but keep giving them second shots, it becomes very difficult.”
The Hurricanes shot 46 percent from the field in the first half, paced by Cleveland, which tallied ten first-half points. However, Miami's turnovers plagued them, as the Hurricanes recorded 11 in the frame.
Florida State dominated the glass in the first 20 minutes, totaling 12 offensive rebounds compared to Miami’s four. Between the Miami turnovers and the Florida State offensive rebounds, the Seminoles took 17 more shots than the Hurricanes and led 37-32 at halftime.
The Hurricanes regrouped at halftime are started the second half on a 7-2 run to tie the game back up at 39-all. The final 20 minutes featured four ties and two lead changes until the Seminoles pulled ahead, 65-58, midway through the half thanks to a 12-2 run.
Foul trouble afflicted the Hurricanes for a majority of the second half as Florida State took 19 second-half free throws compared to Miami’s three.
The Hurricanes cut the deficit down to four, 68-64, on a layup by Omier, but the Seminoles ultimately knocked down 9-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes to secure the 83-75 victory.
The Hurricanes head to Washington, D.C., next week for the 2024 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Miami’s opponent and game time will be decided Saturday evening after the remaining ACC games conclude.
Courtesy of Miami Athletics
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