No. 13 Canes Face NC State in ACC Home-Opener on ESPNU
Jan. 4, 2012
| No. 12/13 Miami vs. NC State Jan. 5, 2012 | BankUnited Center | ESPNU GameTracker | Game Notes |
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Miami 11-3 (0-1 ACC) |
North Carolina State 10-4 (0-1 ACC) Twitter: @PackWomensBball |
| Hurricanes in the News …
• Canes Fall in ACC Opener at No. 25 UNC |
Attending a Game at the BankUnited Center • Visit Miami • Miami Weather • BankUnited Center Seating Map • Directions • Parking Info • Tickets |
CORAL GABLES, Fla.. – Call it home-court advantage. Call it protecting their house. But when Head Coach Katie Meier’s No. 12 Miami Hurricanes return to the BankUnited Center for Thursday night’s ACC home opener against N.C. State (7 p.m.), they’ll have something special on the line: the third-longest home winning streak in the nation.
“It means a lot, especially for us seniors,” Shenise Johnson said of the team’s 32-game streak. “We’re trying to establish a little bit of tradition going in here, and we definitely want to protect the homecourt. We have a lot of pride on this team.”
The last time Miami lost at the BankUnited Center was back in February 2010, amidst a season where the Canes finished in the cellar of the conference. A lot has transpired in the past 32 home contests, including the first conference championship in program history, but the Canes remain focused on only one thing: taking care of the Wolfpack on Thursday.
Last time out at the BankUnited Center, the team captured the Miami Holiday Tournament with a 30-point win over VCU. After the game, Johnson talked about the importance of taking their conference schedule “one game at a time.”
“We try to come out there with passion and competitiveness,” Johnson said. “We want consistently just to win.”
If the Canes hope to leave the BankUnited Center with yet another win on Thursday, they’ll need to move on from their conference opener at No. 23/24 North Carolina. The Tar Heels bested the Canes 65-63 on Monday night, including a 15-5 run over the final 5:19 of the game that helped seal a key conference victory.
“I simply will not say, ‘well, we just didn’t hit shots,’” Coach Meier said after her team’s loss. “It’s a demeanor. It’s a mentality. It’s a comfort level. We have to be able to handle it better.”
The Wolfpack (10-4), who dropped their opener 76-66 at home against Georgia Tech, are led by junior sharpshooter Marissa Kastanek (13.4 points per game) and senior forward Bonae Holston (12.4 points per game). Kastanek, who ranks tenth in the ACC in scoring, scored a season-high 27 points in the team’s loss to the Yellow Jackets.
