The third-seeded Hurricanes clinched their second Sweet 16 berth in four years in thrilling fashion, doing so in the city where Jim Larrañaga attended college.
Miami led for over 38:01, built a 21-point edge in the first 12 minutes and held a 17-point advantage with under 17 minutes left, but the 26-win Shockers came all the way back. A 22-4 burst in just 6:13 put Wichita State on top, 43-42, with 10:26 to go. The Hurricanes answered right back with a 10-2 run, featuring eight points by redshirt senior guard Sheldon McClellan, to go up by seven, 52-45, with 6:11 on the clock.
Ron Baker, one of three future NBA guards on Wichita State’s roster alongside Fred VanVleet and Landry Shamet, helped Wichita State slice the deficit to two with 2:42 remaining. It never got any closer, though, as redshirt senior guard Angel Rodriguez countered with a jump-shot and, after a defensive stop, a dagger 3-pointer to effectively ice the game. The Hurricanes shot over 55 percent from the field and beyond the arc while holding Wichita State below 35 percent in both categories.
Rodriguez led all scorers with a career-best 28 points, finishing 9-of-11 from the floor, 3-of-4 from deep and 7-of-8 at the stripe. He added five assists and four steals, outdueling VanVleet, an eventual NBA champion who scored 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting. McClellan posted 18 points and junior guard Davon Reed added 10.
Game 35… March 24, 2013: #5/4 Miami 63, Illinois 59 (Austin, Texas)