Miami To Host UMBC At The Convocation Center
Dec. 7, 2003
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UMBC (2-2) VS. UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (4-2)
Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2003
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Place: Convocation Center (7,000) – Coral Gables, FL
TV: None
Radio: WQAM (560 AM), WVUM (90.5 FM)
Website: hurricanesports.com
ON UMBC
UMBC enters its game with Miami with a record of 2-2 following a 74-62 loss to Delaware on December 6. The Retrievers have been led in scoring this season by 6-1 junior guard Rob Gogerty who is averaging 11.8 points per game.
Gogerty has connected on 17-33 (.515) from the field this season, including 8-14 (.571) from three-point range, and 5-6 (.833) from the line. In addition, Gogerty leads the team in assists handing out an average of 5.8 per game.
Also averaging in double-figures in scoring for UMBC are 6-6 sophomore forward John Zito (10.5 ppg) and 6-7 sophomore forward Cory McJimson who is averaging 10.5 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds off the bench.
THE SERIES
Miami and UMBC meet for the third time with Hurricanes winning both previous contests. The two schools last met on November 11, 1989 with UM taking a 91-74 decision in Miami.
UP NEXT
Next up for Miami is an intra-state battle with Florida State on Sunday, December 14 at 400 p.m. at the Convocation Center. The Florida State game will mark the return of former Hurricane coach Leonard Hamilton. Hamilton, who is in his second season as head coach of the Seminoles, served as head basketball coach at Miami for 10 seasons before departing following the 1999-2000 season to take over the head coaching duties of the NBA’s Washington Wizards.
TV/RADIO COVERAGE
Miami’s game versus UMBC will not be televised. The game will be broadcast on the Hurricane Radio Network WQAM (560 AM). Joe Zagacki “The Voice of the Hurricanes” will handle the play-by-play with Josh Darrow adding analysis. Brian London will serve as studio host.
The game will also be broadcast on the University of Miami student radio network WVUM (90.5 FM). Fans can also catch the game on the web at hurricanesports.com.
A WIN AGAINST UMBC WOULD
Improve Miami’s record to 5-2 on the season.Mark UM’s third straight victory.Improve Miami’s home record to 5-0.Mark Miami’s 24th consecutive home win against a non-conference opponent.
LAST GAME MIAMI 89, FIU 72
December 6, 2003
Convocation Center, Coral Gables, FL
Darius Rice recorded a season-high 28 points to lead the University of Miami to an 89-72 win over crosstown rival Florida International at the Convocation Center.
Rice hit 11-of-20 shots, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, to move into seventh-place on UM’s all-time scoring list with 1,500 career points.
Guillermo Diaz came off the bench to hit 5-8 field goals en route to 15 points. Robert Hite added 14 for Miami, which connected on a season-high 57.4 percent of its shots.
Junior Matias scored 20 points and grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Florida International, which managed just seven assists compared with 21 turnovers. Taurence Johnson and Carlos Morban each scored 19 points for Florida International.
The win stretched the Hurricanes’ home non-conference winning streak to 23 games.
ON THE COACHES
University of Miami head coach Perry Clark is in his fourth season with the Hurricanes and 15th season overall as a collegiate head coach. Clark is 55-40 (.579) at Miami while his career record in 14 seasons stands at 240-185 (.565).
UMBC head coach Tom Sullivan is in his 10th season with the Retrievers and 19 season overall. His record at UMBC is 101-127 (.443) while his overall mark is 255-252 (.503).
MIAMI vs. NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
Since joining The BIG EAST Conference beginning with the 1991-92 season, the Hurricanes have compiled an 85-41 (.675) record against non-conference opponents, including a 59-13 mark (.819) at home. Miami is 4-2 against non-conference opponents this season. Miami has won 23 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents. Miami’s last home loss to a non-conference opponent was a 60-57 defeat against Kentucky on January 29, 2000 at Miami Arena.
VS THE AMERICA EAST
UMBC is a member of the America East Conference. Miami is 10-1 all-time against America East competition including a 93-58 win over New Hampshire last season. Miami has won six consecutive games versus the America East. The Hurricanes’ lone loss came on February 27, 1990 versus Hartford (62-58).
VS THE STATE OF FLORIDA
Miami is 295-144 (.672) against teams from the state of Florida. Miami has won 30 of its last 33 games against Florida schools dating back to the 1992-93 season.
HIGH FLYERS
The University of Miami’s backcourt may be the most athletic in the country. Miami’s guards have an average vertical jump of 38.2 inches. All of UM’s guards have vertical jumps of at least 36 inches. Leading the way is freshman Guillermo Diaz who has a vertical leap of 41 inches.
TOP RECRUITING CLASS
Head coach Perry Clark and his staff put together one of the nation’s top recruiting classes for this upcoming season. Miami’s class of forward Karron Clarke, guard Guillermo Diaz, forward/center Leonard Harden III, guard Anthony Harris and forward/center Anthony King is ranked as high as eighth in the nation by Street & Smith’s.
CATCHING FIRE
Darius Rice tied for the team lead with nine games of 20-or-more points last season. Three times last season Rice went for 20-or-more points in a single half including a season-high 27 points in the first half of Miami’s 77-76 win over UConn.
RICE NAMED WOODEN AWARD CANDIDATE
Senior forward Darius Rice has been named one of 50 preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden College Basketball Player of the Year Award.
Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. It is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at an institution of higher education who has proven to his university that he is making progress toward graduation and maintaining a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
The 2004 Award ceremony, which will include the presentation of the Wooden Award All-American team and the presentation of the Legends of Coaching Award, will be held at The Los Angeles Athletic Club on Saturday, April 10, 2004 and will be broadcast live on CBS.
RICE NAMED NAISMITH CANDIDATE
Darius Rice has been named one of 30 preseason candidates for the 2003-04 Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year Award.
The Naismith Awards program, now in its 36th year, honors the outstanding college basketball players in the United States. The awards program was founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, an organization dedicated to recognizing the achievements of student-athletes in basketball.
The candidates were selected by a vote of the Board of Selectors comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists and basketball analysts. Members of the board were asked to name top male and female players who are most likely to be in contention for the award.
CLARK TOPS AMONG UM COACHES
Fourth-year head Coach Perry Clark recorded 51 wins in his first three seasons with the Hurricanes marking the most wins by any UM basketball coach in his first three seasons. Clark is 4-2 this season giving him 55 wins as UM’s head coach. The most wins by a UM coach in his first four seasons is 65 set by Bill Foster from 1985-89.
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS
Miami was 1-2 against ranked teams this season. The Hurricanes are 19-19 versus ranked opponents since 1996-97 and have defeated at least one ranked team in each of the last nine seasons. Miami is 28-84 (.250) all-time against ranked teams including a 25-70 (.263) record since the rebirth of the program in 1985.
NO DAY AT THE BEACH
Miami’s 73-72 win over No. 11 Connecticut last season marked the ninth consecutive season that the Hurricanes defeated a ranked opponent at home.
WORKING OVERTIME
Miami played a school single-season record five overtime games last season. Miami finished 1-4 in those overtime games. Miami has played at least one overtime contest in each of the last five seasons. UM has amassed a 9-6 record (including tournament games) in BIG EAST overtime contests (5-3 at home). The ‘Canes own a 25-24 overall record in overtime contests during their history (5-5 in double-overtime games and a 20-19 mark in single-overtime contests). Below is a list of UM’s overtime games since 1990
MR. CLUTCH
Darius Rice’s three-point basket with 0.5 seconds left to defeat Connecticut on January 20th marked the fourth time last season the forward hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to either win the game or send the game to overtime.
With the Hurricanes’ down 72-69 to Florida , Rice connected on a three-pointer from the right corner with 26 seconds remaining to tie the score. Florida went on to win the game 94-93 in double-overtime.
On January 4th against North Carolina, Rice hit a three-pointer, again from the right corner, to tie the score at 60-60 with three seconds left. Miami went on to win the game 64-61.
In Miami’s first meeting with Connecticut on January 11, Rice sent the game to overtime with a three-pointer from the tip of the key tying the score at 71-71 with two seconds left. Connecticut won the game 83-80.
PLAYING HIS BEST AGAINST THE BEST
UM forward Darius Rice shined last season in the big games. Against ranked teams Rice averaged 34.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 35-69 (.507) from the floor and 15-33 (.455) from three-point range.
COMING ON STRONG
Miami forward Darius Rice really heated up late in the season last year averaging 20.2 points after January 1st.
HURRICANES DISTRIBUTE DINNERS
Members of the University of Miami men’s basketball team as well as several student-athletes from the Hurricanes’ football, women’s rowing, women’s track, women’s volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s soccer programs handed out Thanksgiving dinners to six Miami-area organizations prior to the start of the women’s basketball exhibition game versus The Tournament of Champions on November 17 at the Convocation Center.
The six Miami-area organizations who picked up dinners were Children & Families, Ronald McDonald House, Gladstone Center, Florida Baptist Home, Universal Truth Center, and Child Hope.
The full dinners were donated by Sysco Food Services of South Florida. This Thanksgiving marked the eighth consecutive year that University of Miami Athletic Department and its student-athletes have reached out to the community during the holidays.
UM SIGNS CENTER EARLY
Head coach Perry Clark signed of 6-11, 233 pound center Chester “C.J.” Giles (Seattle, Wash.) to a national letter of intent during the early signing period.
Last season Giles averaged 8.2 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks per game earning third-team All-State honors and helping Rainier Beach High School to a 26-3 record and its second consecutive Class 3A State Championship. Rainier ended the season ranked 16th in the nation by USA Today.
Giles is ranked 39th overall and 7th at his position by Rivals.com. He is the 12th ranked high school center in the nation by Athlon Sports, is ranked among the Top-100 players in the nation by Lindy’s (No. 66) and The Sporting News (No. 87), and is an honorable mention All-America selection by Street & Smith’s.
BEING THROWN INTO THE FIRE
Miami relied heavenly on four of its freshmen last season. Rob Hite, Armondo Surratt, Eric Wilkins and Gary Hamilton started a combined 50 games and all averaged 16 or more minutes per game. The 50 combined freshmen starts wee the most since the 1985-86 season, UM’s first since the program was dropped in 1971, when Eric Brown (27), Dennis Burns (20), Bryan Hughes (28), Kevin Presto (28) and Mark Richardson (18) combined to start 121 games.
Twice last season the Hurricanes have had three freshmen in the starting line-up. Miami had at least one freshman in the starting lineup in all but one game last season.
