CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team (5-17, 1-10 ACC) rallied from down 11 at halftime to defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (10-11, 4-6 ACC), 63-57, Saturday night at the Watsco Center.
Miami scored 15 of the final 19 points and held Notre Dame scoreless in the final three minutes to earn its first ACC win of the season.
Senior Matthew Cleveland tallied his fifth straight 20-point game with a team-leading 21 points, while graduate student Lynn Kidd and senior Brandon Johnson joined Cleveland in double-figures with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
The Hurricanes took an early 6-2 after connecting on three of their first shots from the field, but Notre Dame responded with a 13-2 run of its own to go up 12, 25-13, with 6:59 to play in the first half.
Miami cut the deficit to five, 30-25, thanks to an 11-point first half from Cleveland, however, Notre Dame connected on six 3-pointers in the first half to take a 36-25 lead into halftime.
Kidd gave the Hurricanes some life in the second half, scoring six of Miami’s first 12 points in the frame and sparking a 13-3 run that Notre Dame’s lead to two, 48-46, with 10:45 to play.
Cleveland put the Hurricanes back on top, 55-53, on a fadeaway jumper at the 6:10 mark in the second half. Notre Dame tied the game at 57 with four minutes to go, but Miami’s defense rose to the occasion and kept the Fighting Irish scoreless to secure the victory.
Miami will travel to Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, Feb. 8, to take on the No. 21/22 Louisville Cardinals. Tipoff at KFC Yum! Center is set for 2 p.m., and the game will air on ESPN2.
Courtesy of Miami Athletics
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