Miami Rallies Past Texas to Reach First Men's Final Four
The men's Final Four in Houston will have a decidedly Floridian flavor.
Storming back from a 13-point second-half deficit, Miami topped Texas 88–81 in the Elite Eight in Kansas City, Miss. to claim the last Final Four spot—its first in school history.
After starting slow, Texas blitzed the Hurricanes in the first half. Guard Marcus Carr and forward Timmy Allen contributed 10 points apiece as the Longhorns took a 45–37 lead despite being outshot 61.5% to 54.8% from the field in the first 20 minutes.
Texas continued to give a fast-paced Miami team fits after the break, forcing Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga into a rare early timeout. The Longhorns stretched their lead to 12 points at the under-12 media timeout as they continued to dominate Miami on the offensive glass.
The Hurricanes rallied in the final 10 minutes, riding the hot hands of guards Wooga Poplar, Jordan Miller and Nijel Pack and taking the lead at 73–72 with 5:26 to go. Miami broke a tie with two free throws to lead 81–79 with a minute left, a cushion it never relinquished.
The Hurricanes will meet Connecticut in the late Final Four game Saturday night in Houston, while San Diego State will play Florida Atlantic in the early game.
