No. 19 Hurricanes Dealt First Setback
Dec. 29, 2007
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) – Senior Chris Gaynor scored a career-high 21 points and Winthrop made 10 of its final 13 shots Saturday, overcoming an 11-point deficit in the second half to hand the No. 19-ranked Miami Hurricanes their first loss, 76-70.
Jack McClinton scored a season-high 30 points for Miami in the first game of an Orange Bowl Classic doubleheader. The Hurricanes fell to 12-1, while Winthrop improved to 7-5.
The Eagles are 2-0 against Atlantic Coast Conference schools this season, previously beating Georgia Tech on Nov. 18.
Winthrop missed only three shots in the final 10 minutes while making four 3-pointers. The Eagles’ point total was the highest against Miami this season.
Gaynor, chosen the game’s most valuable player, went 7-for-8, including 5-for-6 from 3-point range.
Taj McCullough added 19 points, Michael Jenkins 16 and Antwon Harris 12 for the Eagles. In the second half they shot 57 percent and scored 49 points.
Anthony King scored a season-high 16 points for the Hurricanes and added a game-high nine rebounds, while James Dews added 12 points, including three three-pointers.
Miami failed to score on nine consecutive possessions, committing five turnovers during the drought, and Winthrop scored 14 points in a row to go ahead. Jenkins’ 3-pointer gave the Eagles a 42-40 lead with 13 minutes left.
A basket by McCullough put Winthrop ahead to stay, 47-45, and Gaynor sank 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to make it 60-51.
Jenkins’ steal and layup with 19 seconds left clinched the win.
Winthrop took an early 22-13 lead, but Dews sank a pair of 3-pointers to spark a 10-0 run that put the Hurricanes ahead 27-24. The Eagles missed eight shots in a row.
McClinton scored the first six points of the second half to give the Hurricanes their biggest lead, 38-27.
The Hurricanes return to the hardwood at home at the BankUnited Center on Wed., Jan. 2, versus Penn at 8 p.m. It is the second game of a Miami basketball doubleheader, as the women’s team takes on Charleston Southern at 4:30 p.m.
