MBB Storms Past Quinnipiac, 80-52
By Alex Schwartz
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Behind a dominant second-half showing, the University of Miami men’s basketball team tallied an 80-52 win over Quinnipiac Saturday afternoon at the Watsco Center.
Redshirt junior guard Kameron McGusty led Miami (3-1, 0-1 ACC) with a career-high-tying 22 points, while the Hurricanes held the Bobcats to just 5-of-30 (16.7 percent) 3-point shooting in an outstanding defensive effort.
“I thought our attention to detail [was great and we were] converting what we’ve been emphasizing in practice into game action,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said of the team’s defense. “The guys did a great job of closing out on 3-point shooters.”
With the teams tied at 15 just under 10 minutes into the game, freshman forward Anthony Walker started a 10-1 Miami run with an assist and back-to-back baskets.
Quinnipiac (0-2, 0-0 MAAC) pulled within three late in the half, but a buzzer-beating floater by junior guard Chris Lykes gave the Hurricanes a five-point edge, 29-24, at the break. Both teams shot under 33 percent overall and under 15 percent from 3-point range in the opening 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes scored the first 10 points of the second half to take a 15-point edge, 39-24, with 17:27 to play. They also held Quinnipiac without a field goal until the clock showed 14:03 remaining.
Miami went on to push its second-half advantage as high as 28, which proved to be the final margin of victory, its largest since a 36-point win, 85-49, over La Salle on Nov. 22, 2018, in Fullerton, Calif.
In addition to McGusty matching his career high in scoring—this is the fifth time he has posted 22 points—the Katy, Texas, native also equaled his career best in made 3-pointers, finishing 4-of-6. McGusty also matched his career high in assists (three) for the second game in a row.
Senior guard Dejan Vasiljevic also had a career outing, match his top mark in rebounds with a team-high 10 to tally his second-career double-double, as he logged 13 points, all in the second half.
“You have older guys who really understand they’ve got to be very consistent in their performance in a lot of different categories,” Larrañaga said of McGusty and Vasiljevic. “They both can score. They both can shoot the three. But for us to be good, they both have to defend and rebound. Kam had a double-double in our last game and DJ had a double-double today. So, it’s very, very nice when our guards are contributing that way.”
Lykes and freshman guard Harlond Beverly also reached double figures in the points column, recording 12 and 10, respectively
Redshirt freshman guard Savion Lewis paced the Bobcats with 16 points, while junior forward Jacob Rigoni had 13 points and redshirt junior forward Kevin Marfo grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Miami held freshman guard Matt Balanc, who scored 23 points in Quinnipiac’s opener, without a point.
After shooting 1-of-11 (9.1 percent) from 3-point range in the first half, Miami finished 12-of-26 (46.2 percent). The Hurricanes went 11-of-15 (73.3 percent) after the break, good for their second-most makes in a half since joining the ACC in 2004-05 and their most against a Division I foe.
Quinnipiac shot 31.7 percent (20-of-63) from the floor in the game, the lowest mark Miami has conceded since Dec. 16, 2017, when George Washington registered a 30.2 percent clip (19-of-63) on its home court.
The Hurricanes now travel to Charleston, S.C., where they begin play in the Charleston Classic Nov. 21 at 11:30 a.m. against Missouri State at TD Arena, live on ESPN2 or ESPNU.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The 2019-20 Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball season is presented by First National Bank.
MIAMI HURRICANES POSTGAME NOTES
– The Hurricanes are now 2-0 all-time against Quinnipiac, including 2-0 at home and 1-0 in Larrañaga’s tenure.
– Larrañaga, who entered the evening with the 10th-most victories of any active Division I coach, is now 648-432 in 36 years as a head coach, including 178-98 in nine seasons at Miami.
– For the fourth time in as many games this season, Miami used a starting lineup of Lykes, McGusty, Vasiljevic, redshirt junior center Rodney Miller, Jr., and redshirt junior forward Sam Waardenburg.
– Since joining the ACC prior to the 2004-05 season, the only time Miami hade more made 3-pointers in a half than it did in the second half against the Bobcats was Nov. 16, 2009, when it went 12-of-17 (70.6 percent) in the first half versus Nova Southeastern.
– Miami’s 73.3 percent mark from 3-point range after the intermission was its second-best in a half with 10-plus makes since joining the ACC, as well as its top mark in non-conference play, trailing only the 90.9 percent (10-of-11) clip at Wake Forest on Jan. 29, 2005.
– The last time the Hurricanes held an opponent under 20 percent from 3-point range was Feb. 13, 2019, when Clemson went 3-of-19 for a 15.8 percent clip.
– Miami last held an opponent to five or fewer 3-point makes was also in the Feb. 13, 2019 victory over the Tigers.
– The Hurricanes’ 51 points in the second half were their most in a session since logging 53 in the first half of the first game of last season, Nov. 13, 2018, against Stephen F. Austin.
– Quinnipiac posted the lowest point total by a Miami opponent since Notre Dame notched 47 points on Feb. 6, 2019.
– Nine different Hurricanes scored four-plus points and logged a made field goal.
– McGusty, who surpassed 650 points as a collegian, notched 20-plus points for the seventh time in his career and reached double figures for the 31st time.
– Beverly scored in double digits for the third straight game after notching nine points in his collegiate debut.
– Vasiljevic amassed the 45th double-figure scoring output of his career, as well as his second 10-rebound performance.
– Lykes scored in double digits for the fourth time in as many contests this season and for the 47th time in his career.
– Freshman guard Filippos Gkogkos made his Miami debut, while junior guard Willie Herenton saw his first action of the season.
