Miami Upsets No. 14 Maryland In ACC Play, 84-70
Jan. 7, 2006
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – The Miami Hurricanes scored the first 13 points, sank a season-high 12 3-pointers and beat No. 14 Maryland 84-70 Saturday.
Miami’s three starting guards totaled 65 points. Anthony Harris scored a season-high 22 in 24 minutes, Robert Hite tied a season high with 22 and Guillermo Diaz had 21.
Miami (9-6, 1-1 ACC) beat a ranked team for the first time in four tries this season. The upset snapped a six-game winning streak for the Terrapins (11-3, 1-1), who lost in overtime at Miami last year.
Nik Caner-Medley scored 19 points for the Terps. They endured their most lopsided loss this season and their first since Dec. 5.
Maryland came into the game leading the ACC in scoring average at 85 points but failed to match the Hurricanes’ outside shooting.
Miami missed only seven of 19 3-point tries and went 7-for-10 in the second half. Harris finished 4-for-4. The Hurricanes’ point total was the most allowed by the Terrapins since their season opener.
Chris McCray, Maryland’s leading scorer this season, went 1-for-7 and totaled five points, 11 below his average. Teammate D.J. Strawberry had 14 points but also six turnovers. Travis Garrison scored 12 points.
Maryland failed to score on its first seven possessions, while Miami sank a trio of 3-pointers en route to a 13-0 lead. Garrison’s free throw at 15:49 got the Terrapins on the board, but consecutive 3-pointers by Diaz and Denis Clemente put the Hurricanes ahead 27-15.
Diaz took a hard spill making an awkward layup and limped off in the first half, but he was back in the game 2 1/2 minutes later. The Hurricanes’ halftime lead was 37-33, even though Maryland shot 54 percent.
The Terps cut the margin to 44-43 early in the second half but never pulled even. Harris sank consecutive 3-pointers to build Miami’s lead back to seven. Hite’s drive and dunk made it 57-48, and he sank back-to-back 3-pointers for a 65-62 lead with nine minutes to go.
Another 3-pointer by Hite made it 72-56, and his three-point play gave the Hurricanes their biggest margin at 75-58.
The Terrapins next play at Duke on Wednesday. Last season Maryland became the first ACC team to sweep both games from the Blue Devils since 1995-96.
