This Week in Canes Hoops: 11/20 Edition

We’re back for another week of Miami Hurricanes Men’s and Women’s Basketball. The guys barely beat FIU at home on Monday night. They then traveled to Nassau and took home the 2023 Bahamas Championship crown with wins over Georgia and Kansas State, improving to 5-0. The ladies beat Southern at home on Friday evening to improve to 3-0.

Last week:

I recapped Miami’s narrow 86-80 win over FIU. The Canes committed too many turnovers, played bad defense, and got killed on the offensive glass. Luckily, they have much more talent than the Panthers and were able to get back in front after facing a 12-point deficit early in the second half. It was a nice wake-up call for Miami before they headed to the Bahamas.

I also recapped Miami’s 79-68 victory over Georgia. The game was a first-round matchup of the 2023 Bahamas Championship. The Canes got off to a slow start, went up by 10 points at halftime, then maintained their double-digit lead for the second half. They didn’t shoot the ball as well, going 27-60, a 45% clip. Luckily, Miami played good defense and took advantage of their superior roster talent. Matthew Cleveland led the team in scoring again. His hot start to the season continues.

Finally, I recapped Miami’s 91-83 win over Kansas State. The victory gave the Canes the 2023 Bahamas Championship crown. The Canes got up big on the Wildcats, leading by more than 20 points in the second half. Nijel Pack had a career day against his former team. Miami did miss some layups and gave up some threes to allow KSU to make the final score more respectable. While that wasn’t optimal, I was never concerned as the Canes remained in control of the game.

The Lady Canes beat the Southern Jaguars on Friday evening, 61-57. Miami had to fight back in the fourth quarter after getting outscored 20-10 in the third. They only shot 39% from the field, going 24-62, including 4-24 from three-point range. Coach Meier’s squad needs to score at a higher rate moving forward. Jasmyne Roberts led the Canes with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

This week:

The guys have the week off as they get ready for their ACC/SEC showdown with the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington on Tuesday, 11/28 at 7:30 PM EST on ESPN. This is a marquee matchup for Coach L’s squad.

The Lady Canes host the Colgate Raiders on Friday, 11/24 at 4:00 PM EST. Colgate is 3-0 on the season.

GO CANES!