Canes Hoops Recap: Second Half Spirals Out of Control, Miami Falls to Yale

A 10-point lead at halftime wasn’t enough.

A 15-point lead after halftime wasn’t enough, wasn’t enough to stop this team’s loosing streak, which after its third straight loss, can be called a losing streak.

After a back and forth beginning, Miami went into the locker room at the break seemingly in control of the game, played at the American Airlines Arena.

Ebuka Izundu was already in double-figures—with 10 points. Of the 49 points scored in the first half, 14 were off the bench, more than each of the last few entire games played. And DJ Vasiljevic was 3-4 on 3FG—he had fourteen points at the break and accounted for three of the team’s five made shots from beyond the arc.

After halftime, the production disappeared, into the high rafters of the AAA.

The shots didn’t continue to fall, with just one three-pointer in the second half. A bellwether team stat representing Vasiljevic’s output, the Aussie accounted for just three points after the intermission. Only 24 points were scored as a team—less than half of before the break, with Vasiljevic’s sole three-pointer being the only bench points of the half.

Deng Gak took Vasiljevic’s spot in the starting lineup, with the center earning his first career start in an attempt to play a bigger lineup. Gak has five points, but was scoreless in the second half.

Fellow post player Izundu was the biggest bright spot in an otherwise dark game. The forward continued his stellar play by finishing one rebound away from a double-double to go along with 19 points, leading the team in both categories.

But good play down low couldn’t make up for the lack of shooting on the night, with a team total of 6-26 3FG, or a hair above 23 percent.

And in spite of Izundu’s production, Dewan Hernadez’s absence is really starting to affect this team, with Izundu, Gas and Sam Waardenburg representing the team’s only options in the post. Waardenburg didn’t score on Saturday night.

Miami also had trouble stopping Sophomore guard Mike Oni. The California native proved why he was a unanimous all-Ivy League first-teamer, having himself 29 points and six rebounds, leading the Bulldogs in points and sharing the lead in rebounds with Trey Phills.

Despite all the above, the Hurricanes had a chance to win down the stretch.

Anthony Lawrence’s layup with 3:21 to play gave Miami a two point lead. It would be the Cane’s last points of the night, who saw their lead disappear for good after two Jordan Bruner free throws went through the hoop with 2:31 to go.

A Lawrence missed three-pointer and a Zach Johnson missed layup later, Miami forced another missed Yale shot but allowed an offensive rebound with 10 seconds remaining. Chris Lykes was forced to foul, and Yale would make their free throws en route to UM’s defeat.

Stats

Lykes: 12 pmts, 3 assists, 5 turnovers

Lawrence: 9 pts, 8 rebounds

Johnson: 11 pts, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

Izundu: 19 pts, 9 rebounds

Gak: 5 pts

Vasiljevic: 17 pts

Mack: 0 pts, 2 rebounds

Waardenburg: 0 points

TEAM: 26-63 FG (41.3 percent), 6-26 3FG (23.1 percent), 15-18 FT (83.3 percent), 33 rebounds, 12 assists, 11 turnovers.