Canes Hoops Preview: Worst 2016-17 Loss

The Hurricanes (21-12, 10-8 ACC) suffered their worst loss of the 2016-17 season, 78-53, against UNC in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.

The ‘Canes defeated the Tarheels during the regular season, 77-62, on Jan. 28, in Coral Gables before losing the rematch.

Miami did not favor the squad that dominated UNC in its first matchup. The Hurricanes were hindered by offensive struggles. They only had seven assists, seven steals and 15 turnovers.

Miami shot 38.5 percent, going 19 of 53 from the field. The Canes only made five three-pointers shooting 23.8 percent from beyond the arc.

Starting guard Bruce Brown Jr. was the only bright spot on offense. He was the lone Cane to score double digits finishing with 21 points.

The Tar Heels dominated offensively. They led by as many as 12 points in the first half before Miami went on a 7-0 run to close the gap to, 34-29, at halftime.

Miami’s defense could not find a way to stop UNC’s offensive production. The Tar Heels opened the second half with a 12-3 run to extend their lead to 46-34.

The game was out of reach for Miami after that.

The ‘Canes inside game struggled the entire night giving up 32 points in the paint and they were out-rebounded 36-29. The Tar Heels shot 52.8 percent for the game and hit seven three-pointers. Then they used a 23-7 surge in the second stanza to close the game.

Miami can use the quarterfinals game as motivation for the upcoming season. Miami has the talent to contend with the top teams in the nation if they stay consistent on the offensive end and find ways to score. A low output on offense impacts the team on the defensive end.