Miami Battles in First Test of the Season But Falls Hard Against No. 10 Florida
Miami Hurricanes final stats against No. 10 Florida | Statsbroadcast:
Miami FL Hurricanes Miami Hurricanes(3-1) ALL THINGS CANES.
The Hurricanes' task was to upset the defending national champions, No. 10 Florida, but they fell short against the Gators 82-68 in a battle of attrition.
The Gators came into this game battle-tested, having played games against Florida State and No. 5 Arizona to start the season, while the Hurricanes faced a more manageable path ahead. However, the Hurricanes stared down the best front court in the country, while Miami struggled from the free-throw line and scoring the ball.
This was the first time the Hurricanes got to see what they were made of, and at points, they showed they could be a hard out for anyone in the country. Miami played physical basketball, but the key to this game was the trio of forwards from the Gators dominating inside, while the Hurricanes struggled with the controlables.
To put it simply, the Hurricanes struggled to score in all aspects of the game. Offense was always going to be the biggest issue this season for the Hurricanes; however, the charity stripe shots were the whole in the Canes' game.
Miami finished 15-27 from the free-throw line, 5-18 from beyond the arc, and consistently ran into a brick wall in the paint against the Gators, finishing 32.4 percent from the field.
The Hurricanes' leading scorer, Malik Reneau, struggled at times, even with a double-double night with 22 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 8-28 from the field but was the only consistent player from the free-throw line (5-6). Junior guard Tru Washington followed behind him with an impressive second half, scoring 16 points along with two steals. Tre Donaldson followed, finishing the game with 11 points, shooting 4-16 with six assists. It is clear that the offense still needs time to gel together.
Defensively, the Hurricanes were a physical team, but four players were in foul trouble all night, and it cost them more time with Shelton Henderson on the floor, as he played only 23 minutes.
This is a great learning lesson for the Canes. Many controls can be improved by cleaning them. The effort is there from the team. The Hurricanes will now face Elon on Thursday, Nov. 20, as they look to bounce back and get a victory.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On Cheap Rs-flyfishing Jordan Outlet primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On Cheap Rs-flyfishing Jordan Outlet covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.