Field Level Media
23 Nov 2022, 03:10 GMT+10
Miami will try to rebound both figuratively and literally when it hosts St. Francis Brooklyn on Wednesday night in Coral Gables, Fla.
Their work on the boards -- or lack of it -- was a major factor for the Hurricanes (4-1) in their 88-70 loss to Maryland in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off championship game over the weekend.
The Terps outrebounded Miami 39-20, with 11 rebounds on the offensive end.
"They had 18 second-chance points, and what did we lose by -- 18," Miami coach Jim Larranaga said.
For the season, the Hurricanes hold a slight rebounding advantage over their foes with an average of 33.6 per game to 31.8. But that is thanks mostly to big games in their wins over Lafayette and Providence, when they held a combined 84-63 rebounding advantage.
Size is a major issue. A pair of 6-foot-7 forwards -- Norchad Omier (10.2 average) and Jordan Miller (7.0) -- lead the Hurricanes in rebounding.
"We're not a very big team," Larranaga said, "so if we're not really connected and doing a great job rebounding as a team, we're going to get hurt."
Isaiah Wong, a 6-foot-4 guard who leads the Hurricanes in scoring (15.2 ppg), is the team's third-leading rebounder with an average of 4 per game.
"We have to learn how to play as a small-ball team," Larranaga said. "And we're learning."
St. Francis (2-2) is coming off a 61-58 victory Saturday over Saint Peter's, which made a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight in last season's NCAA Tournament.
The Terriers have rebounding issues of their own, down by an average of nearly three a game for the season. They were outrebounded 44-34 despite the win over Saint Peter's.
Josiah Harris has averaged a double-double for the season (10 ppg, 10.3 rpg) for St. Francis, and Zion Bethea (11.5 ppg) is the team's top scorer.
Rob Higgins, a first-team All-Northeast Conference preseason honoree, has been limited by an upper-body injury. He is averaging a team-high 3.8 assists per game but only 5.8 points.
Miami will be the school's second straight opponent that reached the Elite Eight last March.
"Our team has been working to continue building off a big win over fellow Elite Eight team Saint Peter's this past weekend," St. Francis coach Glenn Braica said.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Maryland Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Maryland Leader.
More InformationIn the past month alone, 23 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza—three more than the number of remaining living hostages held...
LONDON, U.K.: At least 13 people are believed to have taken their own lives as a result of the U.K.'s Post Office scandal, in which...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Travelers at U.S. airports will no longer need to remove their shoes during security screenings, Department of Homeland...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: An elaborate impersonation scheme involving artificial intelligence targeted senior U.S. and foreign officials in...
SLUBICE, Poland: Poland reinstated border controls with Germany and Lithuania on July 7, following Germany's earlier reintroduction...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: After months of warnings from former federal officials and weather experts, the deadly flash floods that struck the...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday with all the major indices gaining ground. Markets in the UK, Europe and Canada...