Ninth-Ranked Canes Face Ole Miss Saturday at 7 p.m.
Dec. 9, 2011
| No. 9 Miami vs. Ole Miss Dec. 10, 2011 | BankUnited Center | Live Video Stream GameTracker | Game Notes |
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Miami 7-1 (0-0 ACC) |
Ole Miss 6-1, (0-0 SEC) Twitter: @OleMissWBB |
| Hurricanes in the News … Williams Scores 36 in “Epic” Game Stroman Leads Miami Past Michigan State Miami Duo Named to Naismith Watch List Williams and Johnson Added to Naismith List Longwood No Match for Hurricanes No. 9 Canes Topple South Florida 92-72 Canes Top Alaska-Anchorage, 72-55 |
Attending a Game at the BankUnited Center Visit Miami Miami Weather BankUnited Center Seating Map Directions Parking Info Tickets |
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — After a monumental win against a historic program in double-overtime, the ninth-ranked Miami Hurricanes return to action on Saturday night for a home tilt with the Lady Rebels of Ole Miss (7 p.m., BankUnited Center).
“I thought that was an epic basketball game,” Head Coach Katie Meier said of her team’s 92-81 victory over No. 11 Rutgers on Monday night. “It usually takes me four hours to break down the film, but this could be a good ten hours of just breaking it down.”
Not surprisingly, it was Coach Meier’s dynamic duo of Preseason All-ACC guards Riquna Williams (career-high 36 points) and Shenise Johnson (25 points, 12 rebounds) who led the way for the Hurricanes after a 16-point deficit in the opening stages of the second half.
“You gotta be really cocky and have some really confident kids to think you’re coming back from that one,” Meier said. “Especially when you look over at the bench and it’s Rutgers, one of the best defensive teams in the history of women’s basketball.”
The No. 9 Hurricanes had a difficult time containing Rutgers 6-foot-2 center Monique Oliver, who finished the game with eye-popping totals of 23 points and 19 rebounds. They’ll face another stiff test on Saturday night in Nikki Byrd, the 6-foot-4 center averaging 14.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per contest for the Lady Rebels.
Saturday night’s contest will represent the seventh contest all-time between the two programs, with the series split at three wins apiece.
The Hurricanes entered last year’s contest against Ole Miss eager to make a statement early in the season. Paced by a 26-1 run to start the game, the Hurricanes dominated the Lady Rebels in Oxford, Miss. en route to an 82-46 win. When Ole Miss arrives in Coral Gables for the 2011 rendition of the series, they’ll represent the Hurricanes’ third straight opponent from a BCS conference.
“It’s a courageous schedule, but obviously it’s been a smart schedule,” Coach Meier said. “These guys just keep unveiling and revealing more hidden talent or something deeper in them I didn’t know was there.”
A win over reigning Big Ten champions Michigan State was followed up with a comeback victory over Big East powerhouse Rutgers. After their match-up against the Lady Rebels on Saturday night, the Hurricanes have an 11-day turnaround, including a meeting with Louisiana-Monroe, before a trip to Washington, D.C. for another Big East showdown with No. 19 Georgetown.
“They’re sharing so much more with me with this challenging schedule,” Meier said of her team. “I’m expecting some good things from this season.”
