2022 WBB NCAA Tournament Central
The Hurricanes are set to take on the best team in the country on Sunday, facing off with No. 1 South Carolina at 3 p.m. in Colonial Life Arena. The game will air on ABC with Courtney Lyle and Carolyn Peck on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on WVUM 90.5.
This will be just the third meeting in history between the two schools and the first meeting in almost 20 years. South Carolina has won both games between the teams — the first win coming in 1983, a 66-56 victory for the Gamecocks. The second South Carolina win was much closer as Miami came up just short, 71-68, in 1993.
Miami is 2-0 when playing in the state of South Carolina this season, having topped ACC foe Clemson during the regular season and South Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Unlike the ACC Tournament, the Hurricanes have a day in between games during the NCAA Tournament and they used it to get another practice under the belts, in addition to participating in various media events.
The Hurricanes are no strangers to games against big-time opponents, having faced six top-10 teams already this season.
In program history, Miami has taken on the best team in the nation 15 times but is still seeking its first win over a No. 1 team, holding an 0-15 record overall. However, the Hurricanes already have a top-five win this season, having defeated No. 4 Louisville in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
Miami will play its fifth-game against a one-seed on Sunday, having played NC State and Louisville twice already this season. The Hurricanes are the only team in the nation to play five games against a one-seed and are one of 11 teams to beat a one-seed this season.
The Hurricanes put together their most complete NCAA Tournament games in program history on Friday. Five Hurricanes scored in double-figures in a tournament game for the first time since 2004. Miami also set new program NCAA Tournament records for most points in a quarter (24) and scored the most points in tournament game since 2017.
Miami’s offense was clicking on all cylinders on Friday, reaching the 78-point mark for the third time this season and first time since Dec. 12. Ten Hurricanes recorded a bucket in the game and 10 players hauled in a rebound.
As a team, Miami tallied its best shooting percentage in a half this season, knocking down 61.3 percent of its shots from the field in the first half. The Hurricanes have shot better than 50 percent in six games this season and are 5-1 in those six contests.
Head coach Katie Meier reached another milestone on Friday, earning her 400th career victory as a college head coach. Meier is the sixth active ACC coach to reach 400 victories and 67th active Division I coach to do so. She remains the all-time winningest program in Miami basketball history – men or women.
