Canes defense will have to come up big vs. Rattlers
Another tough in-state test is ahead for the University of Miami men’s basketball team on Sunday night.
The Hurricanes, who lost to UCF and barely squeaked by FAU, are in for a tough game against Florida A&M.
This game is at home, at 8 p.m. at the Watsco Center, so the atmosphere won’t be as hostile as it was at FAU. But the Rattlers have proven through their first two games that they are dangerous.
They opened their season at Kansas State, where they led in the second half before losing by 10. Senior captain MJ Randolph scored 27 points in that game and had seven rebounds and six assists.
Then, on Monday, FAMU beat Division II LeMoyne-Owen 95-70. Randolph came one rebound shy of a tripledouble — 21 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds. Six Rattlers scored in double figures.
Miami, meanwhile, needed an Isaiah Wong driving layup in the final seconds to get past FAU 68-66 on Nov. 16. Wong led the Canes with 18 points. Kam McGusty added 14 (12 from the foul line), and freshman Wooga Poplar had 12 off the bench.
UM shot 36 percent from the field against the Owls and were 2 of 10 from beyond the arc. But they compensated by drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line 38 times.
They scored 30 points from the line. That has been a strength early this season. Against UCF they were 31 of 39 from the line.
“Charlie Miller, Isaiah and Kam are all good free-throw shooters, and Bensley [Joseph] and Wooga made their free throws, too, so we want to get to the free throw line as often as possible,” said UM coach Jim Larrañaga.
Increasing scoring and rebounding from the bench will be a focus for the Hurricanes
“The bench has been an area of concern because we weren’t getting a lot of production there,” Larrañaga said. “Wooga has the moves to score, but he has to earn playing time through his defense, and he has been working on that. If we can count on the bench for 25 points and 10 to 15 rebounds, we will be a better team.”
Michelle Kaufman: 305-376-3438, @kaufsports