Takeaways from Miami Hoops' 107-105 Triumph vs. Cornell
Led by a career-high 36 points by guard Isaiah Wong, the Miami Hurricanes escaped out of Watsco Center with a 107-105 win over upset-hungry Cornell.
107 points are the most the Hurricanes have scored in a game across Jim Larrañaga's 377 games as Miami's head coach.
Here are five takeaways from the high-scoring contest.
1. Both teams played up-tempo.
Entering the game, Arizona led all college basketball teams with an average of 79.4 possessions per game.
Against Cornell, Miami had 81 possessions, while the Big Red had 86. This fast-paced style of basketball resulted in a combined 212 points, the most in any game that either team has played this season.
"Because Cornell plays so fast and has a lot of open-court situations, we got a chance to score before their defense got back," Larrañaga said to reporters after the contest about the game's speed. "And we didn't wanna slow down. We wanted to play at that tempo because we're very comfortable, because we can really score the ball in the open court."
2. Miami's late-game execution needs improvement.
While the Hurricanes did an excellent job in the first half at breaking down Cornell's full-court defense, they struggled at it toward the end of the game.
Miami committed five turnovers in the final 2:48 of the game. This led to the Big Red cutting the Hurricanes' lead from eight to as little as two during this span.
UM will need to limit its mistakes in these crucial parts of the game as it begins to play more ACC opponents.
3. Isaiah Wong was unstoppable.
While the Hurricanes' offense as a whole was sensational, the fourth-year guard was especially good.
Wong's 36 points led all scorers. He made these baskets in a variety of ways by attacking the rim on hard-nosed drives, as well as from behind the arc, connecting on five of his eight 3-point attempts.
This is the most points Wong has scored in a game since Jan. 16, 2021, in a win over Louisville.
4. Bensley Joseph was unconscious from deep.
As well as Bensley Joseph has played this season, his three-point shooting percentages have been down from last year.
The second-year guard entered the game shooting only 28.6% from deep, which is far less than the 39.5% he shot from beyond the arc last season.
Against Cornell, however, Joseph found his rhythm, making all four of his 3-point attempts.
5. Miami now sets its sights on North Carolina State.
The Hurricanes cruised to an 80-53 win in their ACC opener last Sunday against Louisville, but they should expect a more tightly contested matchup in their second conference game against North Carolina State on Saturday.
The Wolfpack have scored 81.1 points per game this season, which leads all of the ACC.
This offensive onslaught has been led by guard Terquavion Smith, who leads NC State with 17.7 points and 5.3 assists per game.
Fans at the Watsco Center should expect another shootout between these two high-octane offenses.
AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.
