Malik Reneau Leads All Scorers as Miami Suffocates Georgetown
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After coming off another rough offensive performance against No. 9 BYU, the Miami Hurricanes had a lot to prove in the third-place game at the ESPN Events Invitational.
Against the Georgetown Hoyas, they proved they are one of the best defensive teams in the country, stifling them 78-65.
The score might seem a lot closer than what the game actually was, but the Canes continue to prove that this isn't the same team from last season. The Hoyas say an attack mode Malik Reneau, who continues his All-American campaign as one of the top big men in the sport. He has scored 20 points for the sixth time this season, but this time it was also from the outside.
The Hurricane struggled against No. 9 BYU from beyond the arc and from the charity stripe. Against the Hoyas, Reneau led the Canes from three, shooting 3-3 from beyond the arc, while the team shot 12-16 from the free throw line.
The Hurricanes also saw another dominant performance from guard Tru Washington. He is taking that challenge from head Coach Jai Lucas to heart as he continues to prove he is one of the best defensive guards in the country.
The game against the Cougars and his job against AJ Dybantsa will go unnoticed, but against the Hoyas, he was a physical force. He finished with 17 points, six rebounds, and four steals.
The team also forced the Hoyas to shoot 35 percent from the field, 22 percent from beyond the arc, and only shot 66 percent from the free-throw line.
It was an all-around smuthering game from the Canes, which also saw some more production come from the bench. The Hurricanes desperately need more scorers if they want to compete, and they have one hiding on the bench. In his six minutes playing, junior guard Noam Dovrat came in and instantly knocked down two threes. Dante Allen continues to be a standout freshman with great defense and high IQ.
Starter Tre Donaldson finished the game with 13 points and six assists, while Shelton Henderson struggled, finishing with only five points and turnovers. Ernest Udeh Jr. might not have scored much, but he was a force, finishing with 11 rebounds.
The Hurricanes will remain on the road as they will travel to Oxford, Miss., to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in this year's ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 2 at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
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 SI 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 SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.