Hurricanes Face No. 18 St. John's For BIG EAST Title

March 2, 2000

Coral Gables, FL –

For tickets, call 1-800-GO-CANES or stop by the Hurricane Ticket office between 9:00-5:00, Monday-Friday. The University of Miami men’s basketball team (19-9, 12-3) will face No. 18 St. John’s University (21-6, 12-3) on Sunday, March 5 at noon at the Miami Arena with the winner earning a share of the BIG EAST regular-season title.

The game will also be the final home game for seniors Mario Bland, Johnny Hemsley and Vernon Jennings. The three will be honored in a ceremony prior to tip-off.

Miami, which has won 10 of its last 11 conference games, including a 7-1 record in the month of February will be going against arguably the hottest team in the BIG EAST. The Red Storm have reeled off eight straight victories including an impressive 83-82 win at second-ranked Duke on February 26.

The Hurricanes will be led by their senior trio of Bland, Hemsley and Jennings. The three have brought the Miami program into the national spotlight registering a 76-39 (.661) record, four consecutive winning season, and three straight postseason appearances including NCAA Tournament bids in 1998 and 1999. Miami’s NCAA Tournament bid in 1998 marked the school’s first since 1960.

Miami’s 76 wins are the most in a four year period since UM won 80 games from 1962-66 while its .661 winning percentage is the highest since Miami posted a 72-33 (.686) record from 1963-67.

Over the last four seasons Miami’s three seniors have led the Hurricanes to a 47-22 (.681) record tying them with St. John’s and Connecticut for the best conference mark over that period. With a post season bid in 1999-2000, the trio would become the first Hurricanes to reach the post season in four consecutive seasons.

The game will be televised nationally on CBS. The game also be heard on the Hurricane Radio Network (WAXY-790 AM).