Dec 30, 2002
MIAMI (AP) – James Jones scored 21 points and Darius Rice added 18 as Miamidefeated Lehigh, 68-62, Monday in the Hurricanes’ final game at Miami Arena.
Miami (67-4) will host No. 23 North Carolina at their new on-campus arenaSaturday.
The Hurricanes missed only one free throw until the final 1:19 againstLehigh, when they missed seven more, letting Lehigh (6-4) get within fourpoints in the final minute.
Earlier in the second, with Miami leading 46-44, Jones hit 3-pointers at thebeginning and end of a 13-3 run to put the Hurricanes up by 12 with 4:33 left.Matt Logie, who scored a game-high 24 points, and Zlatko Savovic, who had 11points, then led Lehigh on a 14-6 run to its four-point deficit.
The first half was the opposite of the second, as both teams shot over 55percent. Miami hit seven of 10 three-point attempts and was 13-of-22 overall.Lehigh connected on three 3-pointers while shooting 56 percent from the fieldin the half.
With Miami trailing 25-24, Rice hit two 3s in a 13-0 Miami run and theHurricanes took a 37-25 lead. The Mountain Hawks answered with a 10-0 run inthe last 3:33 of the half, cutting Miami’s lead to 37-35 at halftime.