Miami, FL: A Sunshine State showdown ensued Wednesday evening as the Miami Hurricanes returned back to the Watsco Center to take on the Florida State Seminoles in a heated ACC rivalry — where bragging rights and conference standings were on the line.

This matchup versus Florida State marked the first time the Hurricanes have stepped onto their homecourt without former head coach Jim Larrañaga leading them since 2011.

Not only has Miami been running off their interim head coach, Bill Courtney, but they have also had to work around not incorporating guard Nijel Pack into their lineup as he has been walking along the bench in a boot ever since Miami’s loss to No. 1 Tennessee earlier this season.

For the Canes, Pack has been “Mr. Reliable”, averaging a team-high 14 points per game. Matthew Cleveland has recently stepped into a star role, recording consecutive 21-point games in Miami’s first two conference games versus Virginia Tech and Boston College.

“I would say the big thing would just be leadership, especially with the coaching change; Coach [Courtney] has really looked to me for leadership, especially since Nigel is out,” said Cleveland. “I feel like that’s the biggest thing, just trying to make sure my teammates keep their head in it, that we keep getting better, even though the results aren’t what we want them to be, that we just keep getting better.”

Both teams are great from behind the arch, but Florida State’s defense was able to hold Miami 24% from the three, all while nearly doubling their percentage and shooting 42% from three.

“They’re a good team, and they’re really, really good shooting team. They might not have shown it today, but they have exceptional perimeter shooting, and we had to defend them for them to miss,” said Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton. “We had to be there, and even with our effort, we emphasized all week that this is a good shooting team, and they’re not going to miss unless we make them miss.”

Cleveland put up 16 points for the Hurricanes while shooting 50% from the field, leading Miami in scoring last night. Right behind Cleveland in scoring was Paul Djobet, who had 13 points. For the Seminoles, Malique Ewin totaled his third career double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Recap:

Miami won the opening tip courtesy of Lynn Kidd. Jalil Betha was fouled on the first shot attempt of the game, making all three of his free throws.

Miami’s Divine Ugochukwu scored the first bucket for the Canes, putting Miami up 5-0 to start the first half. Not long after, Florida State answered with two consecutive dunks, cutting Miami’s lead to one in just one minute.

Ugochukwu then gets the foul and the basket, but misses the free throw.

After over two minutes of unanswered scoring for both teams, Florida State cuts the lead to one once again courtesy of Jamir Watkins.

Technical fouls were issued for both Watkins and Kidd after the possession.

After the first media timeout of the game, Watkins beats the shot clock to give the Seminoles their first lead of the game.

After about one minute of unanswered scoring, A.J. Stanton-McCray ties the game for Miami. Both teams exchanged baskets for about three possessions before Djobet drained a three to put the Hurricanes back in the lead by one.

Florida State comes out of the media timeout and regains the lead. Djobet then drove to the basket with an assist courtesy of Justin Thomas to tie the game for the Canes. Djobet was then assessed with a technical foul, causing Florida State’s Jerry Deng to shoot and make two free throws.

After back-to-back fouls on the Seminoles, Brandon Johnson was able to put a halt to the Seminole’s scoring run, cutting the Canes’ deficit to four points. Both teams exchanged baskets until Florida State went on an 11-3 scoring run to put the Canes down by nine with about six minutes to go in the first half.

Florida State proceeded to go on a 7-0

After about four minutes of unanswered scoring for Miami, Cleveland laid the ball up with a little over two minutes remaining in the first half; these were Cleveland’s first points all game.

Florida State leads by 14 at the end of the first half, 39-25.

Cleveland drains a three to put up Miami’s first points of the second half. Kidd then gets the bucket and the foul, making his free throw and cutting the Canes’ deficit to eight; Kidd is 100% from the line tonight.

Daquan Davis answers for the Seminoles with a triple, followed by a stolen pass to lay it up at the basket. Davis puts FSU up by 13.

Kidd answers with his second and-1 of the half, going 100% from the line once again.

Cleveland is fouled behind the arch, where he then went on to make one of his three free throws. On the next possession, Taylor Bol Bowen drains a three, putting the Seminoles up 12.

Cleveland went back to the line, where he got called on a violation and missed the second free throw.

It seemed planned the way Cleveland and Bowen kept going foul-for-bucket on the possessions; after the previous possession, Bowen took the ball downcourt and drained another three to put the Seminoles up 15. Cleveland was then fouled on the shot and proceeded to miss that free throw as well; at this point in the game, Cleveland was 1-6 from the line.

Once again, Bowen scored on the next possession for the Seminoles, but this time it was just a layup and not a three.

Cleveland was fouled on the basket… once again; except this time, he made the free throw.

Austin Swartz scores his first points and triple of the half for the Hurricanes. Djobet gets the second-chance layup with an offensive rebound courtesy of Kidd. The Hurricanes now trail by six with ten minutes to go in the second half.

FSU then answers with an alley-oop dunk by Deng on the fast break with an assist from Thomas.

Johnson went to the line for FSU, making both of his free throws to extend the Seminoles’ lead to ten. He then drains a three to extend the lead to 13.

Ewin got the alley-oop dunk with the assist from Watkins, the Ewin assisted Davis in the and-1 lay-up to put the Seminoles up by 20, their largest lead of the game.

Ewin then makes an impressive behind-the-back layup on two defenders, draws the foul, and gets the call; however, he misses the free throw. This, however, does not affect the Seminoles’ lead, as they are up by 21 with four minutes remaining in the second half. Ewin then throws it down after the previous possession to extend the lead to 23.

Florida State closed out the game with a 15-point lead, 80-65.

Miami’s next game will be back at the Watsco Center versus Wake Forrest on Saturday, Jan. 11.

“Every game is different. Florida State present presents so many challenges by the way they play defense with athleticism and the way they deny the passing lanes,” said Miami interim head coach Bill Courtney. “Wake Forest is a totally different team. So, you know, we got to look at the film and get ready to come up with a game plan for Saturday.”

Florida State will travel to South Carolina to play Clemson, also on Saturday, Jan. 11.

Photo Credits via Christian Proscia – New Era Prep