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The Miami Hurricanes moved to 3-1 (0-1 ACC) with an 80-52 win over the Quinnipiac Bobcats Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats (0-2) were outmatched by Miami’s quickness and overall talent level as they struggled to find an answer to the ‘Canes offensively and defensively.
Miami, despite playing an inferior opponent, still showed signs of progress despite having played just a few games. The Hurricanes were 8-9 from the free throw line, a huge positive sign that Miami is beginning to move past the struggles they had from the line last season. Additionally, the ‘Canes shot 46.2% from three-point range, which is a huge improvement in outside scoring from the first few games of the season.
Individually, Kameron McGusty showed why Hurricanes fans should be excited to have him as a scoring threat this season. The redshirt junior had 22 points on the afternoon, shooting 7-11 from the field. He also added three assists and three rebounds to his total and had an all-around fantastic performance.
D.J. Vasiljevic was another standout performer for the Hurricanes. The senior went just 3-9 from behind the three-point line, which continues to be a point of concern for him so far this season, but he was huge along the boards, tallying 10 rebounds.
Miami’s defense also showed great improvement. The Hurricanes held the Bobcats to just 32.3% shooting from the floor and forced 12 turnovers.
Freshman Harlond Beverly continued to show his potential with another fantastic performance. Beverly had 10 points, three assists, three rebounds, and two steals. He made an impact on both ends of the court and he continues to push for more playing time off the bench, or possibly in the starting lineup.
The Hurricanes are now riding a three game winning streak heading into the Charleston Classic, which begins on Thursday night with a game against Missouri State. If Miami defeats Missouri State, they could find themselves in a matchup against the No.15 Florida Gators, which could provide a true measure of the progress they’ve made this year.