Men's Basketball Earns Share Of Big East Title
March 5, 2000
By MARK LONG
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI – One by one, the Miami Hurricanes climbed up the ladder to cutthemselves a piece of the net.
When everyone had taken a strand, coach Leonard Hamilton got the rest. Hewas still wearing it around his neck as he left the building Sunday.
Elton Tyler had 20 points and a game-saving blocked shot and Mario Blandadded 19 points as Miami beat No. 18 St. John’s 74-70 in overtime to claim ashare of the Big East regular-season championship.
The title, shared with No. 9 Syracuse, is Miami’s first since joining theBig East in 1991 and the school’s first of any kind since 1965, when Rick Barryran roughshod through the Intercollegiate Conference.
“This is a very, very special moment for our program,” Hamilton said. “Tohave a chance to win a title is something very few people enjoy.”
Trailing 62-60 with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Bland hit a jumperfrom the top of the key to send the game into overtime.
Bland and Tyler each scored four points in the extra period, but it wasTyler’s block of a drive by Erick Barkley with nine seconds left and Miami(20-9, 13-3) leading 72-70 that proved to be the difference.
“It was a foul,” Barkley said. “I got hit.”
Leroy Hurd had made one of two free throws with 20 seconds left to giveMiami the 72-70 lead. Vernon Jennings‘ two free throws after Tyler’s blocksealed the win.
“This is stuff you see on TV,” said Bland, one of three Miami seniorsrecognized before their final home game. “You see other teams cutting downnets.”
Added Jennings, still holding his piece of the net: “This string righthere, you can’t pay for this.”
Barkley, the Red Storm’s leading scorer who was returning from his secondNCAA suspension this season, scored 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting. During thegame, Miami fans taunted him by shaking car keys and money every time hetouched the ball.
Barkley missed two games earlier this season as the NCAA investigated hisswitching of sport-utility vehicles with a family friend. Then he sat outTuesday’s win over Seton Hall for accepting tuition aid to attend a prepschool.
He was reinstated Friday and caught a flight that night to join the team inSouth Florida.
“He did a pretty good job,” St. John’s coach Mike Jarvis said. “He’ll bebetter in the Big East tournament.”
St. John’s (21-7, 12-4), which had its eight-game winning streak snapped,finished 3-of-17 from 3-point range.
The Red Storm will be the No. 3 seed for this week’s Big East tournamentwith Syracuse first and Miami second. All three receive a bye to Thursday’squarterfinals.
Miami, which has won five in a row and 11 of its last 12 conference games,missed on all 13 attempts from beyond the arc. Johnny Hemsley scored 16 pointsdespite finishing 0-of-8 from 3-point range.
“Miami is a great defensive team,” Jarvis said. They’ve got guys who canbeat you in many different ways.”
Lavor Postell led St. John’s with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and BootsyThornton and Reggie Jessie had 11 points each.
Postell looked like he might put the Red Storm ahead 63-60 with 34 secondsto play in regulation, but his driving bucket in the lane was waved off.Referee Will Bush called a block on the play while referee John Cahill calledit a charge.
“I wish I was in the stands so I could have said something to the ref,”Hemsley said. “I thought it was a call that was definitely questionable.”
After a midcourt meeting, the officials decided to call a double foul onPostell and Hemsley. The score remained 61-60 in favor of St. John’s.
“That was creative,” Jarvis said. “I don’t know how they came up withthat one.”
The Red Storm retained the ball, and Barkley could have forced Miami intoneeding a 3. But his missed the first of two free throws, giving St. John’s a62-60 lead with 15 seconds to play.
Jennings then found Bland wide open at the top of the key to send the gameinto overtime. Bland had both feet on the 3-point line.
“I hope people start respecting us now,” Tyler said.
