Tru Washington's Game-Winning Free Throws Lift Miami Past NC State in An Epic
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It's never a boring game with the Miami Hurricanes (20-5, 9-3 ACC) as they battle back down seven with less than a minute on the road against NC State, picking up another quad-one victory thanks to the return of the Canes' star defensive ace.
The Hurricanes and Wolfpack battled, trading blows, and it was clear neither team was going to go away without a fight. Until halftime, the game exchanged leads 11 times, and never extended past two.
The first half was just the start for what the Canes would have to endure during this game.
The Canes dominated inside the paint but struggled to get there when they needed to at the right time. The Wolfpack came into this game, allowing only 29 points in the paint. The Canes nearly doubled their scoring, 56, led by scorers Malik Reneau and Shelton Henderson.
Reneau was unstoppable in the paint against the Wolfpack, scoring 26 points in 36 minutes. He finished shooting 12-19 and was the reason the Canes were able to play as close as they did with others struggling.
Henderson was also a catalyst against the Wolfpack as player after player bounced off him on route to a 17-point game. However, this game was about the return of Canes' defensive ace, Tru Washington.
It had been three games missed for the ACC's fourth-best stealer. After being out for personal reasons, it was clear when he stepped on the floor that he was going to be a game-changer. He finished the game with 13 points on 4-10, along with six rebounds. Four of those were offensive, and none more important came in the closing stretches of the game.
A game of runs. After the Tech, NC State went on a 9-0 run, and then Miami stormed back with an 8-0 run. pic.twitter.com/wdVk5YWawI
— Justice Sandle (@Justice_News5) February 15, 2026
Washington would score the last five points for the Canes, first grabbing an offensive rebound and an easy put-back, then getting fouled with 3.7 seconds left in the game, heading to the free-throw line with three free shots.
The Canes, until that point, were 7-17 from the charity stripe, nearly losing the game because of the abysmal shooting. However, Washington, a 73 percent free-throw shooter, walked calmly and collected as a cold-blooded killer, knocking down all three, lifting his team to victory.
.@CanesHoops go on an 8-0 run in the final minute to get the W over NC State 😳 pic.twitter.com/3x0qDeKuxE
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 14, 2026
They stuck with it," Lucas said on ESPN after the victory. "You know, one thing about this group, man, they're resilient, and they fight and stick to their identity. 20 offensive rebounds, 56 points in the paint. We just keep chipping away. I'm so proud of them."
Miami returns home to face off against Virginia Tech on Tuesday, looking to extend its win streak to four.
"Yeah, we're gonna play Tuesday night, and get another really good team, so we'll enjoy this one for a little bit, but then we'll be right back," Lucas said.
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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.