Top-seeded Miami holds off Wake Forest 74-72 in ACC tournament opener

Coach Jim Larranaga is getting used to his Hurricanes playing in close contests. The outcome of a Miami game was decided by a single possession for the third straight time on Thursday at the Greensboro Coliseum.

“Survive and advance,” Larranaga said. “Lose and go home. We won. We’re moving on… That’s what sports are all about. It’s a reality show at its best. You don’t really know what’s going to happen.”

Jordan Miller scored 18 points as the top-seeded Hurricanes held off a late surge from No. 9 Wake Forest, winning 74-72 in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.

With about two seconds remaining, Wake Forest’s Daivien Williamson missed what would’ve been the game-winning shot from half court.

“We’re very, very fortunate. We played an outstanding Wake Forest team. They made a great run at the end,” Larranga said. “That three misses, we win the game, we get to advance. We’re happy with where we are.”

Miami, ranked 14th in the latest AP Top 25 Poll, will now advance to the semifinals for the second straight season and fifth time overall since joining the ACC. A season ago, the Canes (25-6) lost to Duke in the semifinals in Brooklyn, New York. On Friday, Miami will face the winner of Thursday’s clash between Pitt and the Blue Devils.

Miller shot 8 of 16 from the floor and also notched nine rebounds and five assists. ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and added five assists for the Canes. Norchad Omier chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season.

“Jordan is a great player,” Wong said. “The way he plays, he plays confident, he plays together, and he’s always there. He’s always passing the ball, he’s always playing great on defense.”

Wake Forest (19-14) was powered by Tyree Appleby’s 24 points, five rebounds and five assists. Cam Hildreth scored 17 points and Williamson had 14.

“I don’t consider them a middling ACC team,” Larranaga said of Wake Forest. “Tyree Appleby is one of the — well, he’s the leading scorer in our league and leader in assists — one of the best point guards in the country.”

The Hurricanes jumped to a 10-4 lead from the opening tip, but then endured a scoring drought that lasted nearly four minutes as Wake Forest tied the score. Defenses on both sides looked strong early as Wake and Miami shot a combined 29 percent from the floor in the first 10 minutes of the game. Miami pulled ahead for a seven-point lead near the end of the half following a 9-2 run that was punctuated by a three-pointer from Miller, but Wake closed the gap to five points before intermission.

Wake trimmed the deficit to three points early in the second half, but then the Canes got into a groove, putting a 17-point cushion between the Demon Deacons with a 19-5 run. Wong scored five points and dished out three assists during that stretch for Miami, and four different Canes hit three-pointers.

“We were just playing together. We were playing hard on defense,” Wong said. “We got a lot of assists I feel like, a lot of back doors, a lot of playing together. I feel like that’s what got us going.”

Miami led by as much as 18 points in the final 10 minutes of the game. Wake Forest cut the deficit to six points with 2:44 remaining — the same time Miami starter Nijel Pack fouled out — but UM kept Wake Forest at arms’ length.

While Miami made 6 of 19 shots from behind the arc for a 31.6 percent clip, crucial to its success was its play inside. The Hurricanes outscored the Demon Deacons 42-30 in the paint and outrebounded them 38-34. Miami was also helped by Wake missing 7 of 14 free-throw attempt. And the Canes turned 10 Wake turnovers into 18 points.

“Coach Larranaga has one of the best teams in the country,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “They’re elite on offense. I don’t think they get enough credit for the way they defend. Their guards are really fast. They can really move their feet. They’re physical. They’re handsy.”

The Canes have now won nine of their last 10 games. Miami also extended its winning streak over Wake Forest to four games.

Friday’s semifinal tips off at 7 p.m.

This story was originally published March 9, 2023 at 2:23 PM with the headline "Top-seeded Miami holds off Wake Forest 74-72 in ACC tournament opener."