DURHAM, N.C. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team matched its record for the highest-ranked opponent defeated on the road in program history, shocking second-ranked Duke, 76-74, Saturday night at a sold-out Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Hurricanes led by as many as eight points in a start-to-finish thriller to become the first team in the nation this season to knock off a top-three team on the road. Sixth-year redshirt senior guard Charlie Moore scored a team-high 18 points for the Hurricanes, who tied a program record in ACC play with 15 steals.
Seven of those steals came from Moore, good for the most ever by a Hurricane in ACC play and tied for the second-most ever by an opposing player at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The stingy defense helped Miami (13-3, 5-0 ACC) up its winning streak to nine in a row.
“That was an exciting game from start to finish,” Miami head coach Jim Larrañaga said after moving to 7-7 against Duke during his time at The U. “I thought our guys played extremely well and got us off to a good start. Duke came roaring back and played very well. We were tied up at the half and both teams kind of just exchanged punches in the second half.
“Duke, obviously, has earned their high ranking,” he continued. “I’m really proud of the way my guys executed the game plan and stuck together.”
The Hurricanes, who forced eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes, used an 8-0, 51-second burst to grab a 14-6 lead after just 5:11, but Duke (12-2, 2-1 ACC) quickly answered. After the two teams exchanged baskets, Miami went scoreless for 5:24, missing 10 straight shots, as the Blue Devils scored 13 straight points, including drilling three consecutive 3-pointers, to go up by five, 21-16, with 9:52 on the clock.
Duke extended its run to 18-2, taking a 26-18 lead with 7:02 left in the half. The Hurricanes, however, countered right back, holding the Blue Devils without a point for five minutes and notching 10 in a row at the other end to go ahead, 28-26, with 2:52 remaining.
The sides went into the intermission deadlocked at 32, the first even score at the break for Miami this season. The Hurricanes notched 11 first-half steals, setting a program record in the ACC era (since 2004-05) for a single frame. Moore, who scored a game-best nine first-half points, individually recorded five steals, already tying his career high. In total, Miami forced 13 turnovers and committed just four, en route to a 13-0 edge in points off giveaways.
Duke took a five-point lead in the second half, but Miami answered with a 13-2 surge in just 3:08 to go in front by six, 60-54, with 9:12 left. The spurt was part of a streak of nine straight made field goals, including three in a row by third-year sophomore guard Isaiah Wong.
The Hurricanes held a three-point edge, 71-68, in the final 100 seconds, but Duke scored six consecutive points in 48 seconds to go up, 74-71, with 44.9 ticks remaining. Moore made a driving layup through contact at the other end and although he missed the free throw, fourth-year junior guard Jordan Miller grabbed the rebound and sixth-year redshirt senior guard Kameron McGusty made a layup to put Miami up by one. After a defensive stop, Wong split a pair of free throws with 16 seconds to play.
Duke then missed multiple shots at the other end, sending the Hurricanes into a raucous celebration in front of the silent crowd of 9,314.
“When they got ahead by three, it didn’t look good for us, but Charlie Moore made a sensational move to the basket, made an incredible layup and then Jordan Miller came up with an incredible offensive rebound,” Larrañaga said. “Kameron McGusty hit the game-winner, so a lot of guys contributed throughout the game.”
Miller, Wong and McGusty all joined Moore in double figures. Miller scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, adding a 4-of-4 mark from the line. Wong notched 15 and McGusty added 14.
Sixth-year redshirt senior forward Sam Waardenburg tied career highs with team-high five assists and team-best three blocks, while freshman guard Wooga Poplar grabbed a season-high six rebounds to lead the Hurricanes.
Duke freshman forward Paolo Banchero paced all scorers with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, adding a 6-of-7 mark from the line. Junior forward Wendell Moore Jr., registered a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double, adding a game-high seven assists, but Miami forced him into six turnovers.
Sophomore center Mark Williams added 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting for the Blue Devils, adding a game-best seven blocks, while freshman forward AJ Griffin chipped in 10 points. Two other Duke players—freshman guard Trevor Keels and sophomore guard Jeremy Roach—scored nine points apiece, as Miami held the starting guard to a combined 5-of-19 clip from the floor.
Miami forced Duke into 19 turnovers and committed only five, posting a 17-2 edge in points off turnovers. The undersized Hurricanes also had a 52-38 advantage in paint points.
Although Miami shot just 4-of-16 from 3-point range, it went 3-of-5 in the final 16 minutes after starting 1-of-11.
The Hurricanes are back in action Tuesday at 8 p.m. against Florida State at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Fla., live on ACC Network.
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Alex Schwartz – Miami Hurricanes Athletics contributed to this recap
