Miami thrashes North Carolina, extends lead in ACC standings
Miami defeated North Carolina 85-57 on Tuesday night, and it wasn’t nearly as close as the final score might indicate.
The Hurricanes separated themselves early on and eventually took a 27-point lead into the halftime. They shot 58.1 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from 3-point range before the break.
North Carolina was able to slightly narrow the deficit as the game went on, but never seriously threatened to make a come back. Miami extended its lead to 33 points late in the second half.
Three Miami players reached 20 points in this game. Sam Waardenburg who went off in the first half for 17 points and made all four of his 3-point attempts. He finished the game with a career-high 21 points.
Isaiah Wong led the team with 25 points and made 5-of-8 from long range. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and made 2 steals. Kameron McGusty added 20 points and led the Hurricanes with 10 rebounds and 4 assists.
The win secures Miami’s place atop the ACC standings with a 6-1 record. It also give it another quality win after defeating Duke earlier this month. The Hurricanes are now poised to make a run at an NCAA Tournament berth and could be ranked in the AP Top 25 next week.
Miami hosts Florida State on Saturday.