4 takeaways: Miami basketball overwhelmed by UConn in Final Four
HOUSTON — Head coach Jim Larranaga embraced a veteran trio of Isaiah Wong, Norchad Omier and Nigel Pack after a last-minute substitution on Saturday night in NRG Stadium. The Hurricanes' time in the Final Four was at an obvious end.
Number 4-seed UConn dispatched No. 5-seed Miami, 72-59, in the second Final Four semifinal game at NRG Stadium.
The Huskies (30-8) continued their dominant run in the NCAA Tournament with a fifth-consecutive double-digit victory. Emphasizing UConn's dominance this postseason, Saturday's win was their closest so far in the tournament.
And it was never really in doubt.
“When we’re playing harder than the other team, which is our calling card, going plus-9 on the glass, playing elite defense and having a lot of answers on offense, there’s nowhere we’re weak as a team,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said. “And we’re deep as a team.
“We’re able to body-blow our opponent and continue to put together quality possessions on the backboard on each end. It has a cumulative effect.”
The Huskies dominated on the interior, shooting 49 percent from the floor, while outrebounding the Hurricanes 40-31.
UConn big man Adama Sanogo terrorized the Hurricanes with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. .Jordan Hawkins, who was limited in this week's shootarounds, followed Sanogo with 13 points.
Miami's Wong and Jordan Miller were the only Hurricanes in double-figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively. Miller snagged 11 rebounds for a double-double.
The Huskies advanced to face No. 5-seed San Diego State in Monday night's national championship game in NRG Stadium in Houston.
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Huskies keep Miami at bay
UConn largely kept the Hurricanes at a distance after building a double-digit advantage in the first half.
Multiple Miami runs brought the Hurricanes within striking distance several times, but the Huskies repeatedly restored their double-digit advantage. Miami never got closer than an eight-point deficit in the second half.
Trailing by 10 points near the under-4 media timeout, Miami turned the ball over and UConn's Alex Karaban absorbed a foul and hit a layup to give the Huskies a 12-point lead.
To Larranaga, the Hurricanes' struggles could equally be credited to the Huskies and the grand stage of the Final Four.
“We were never in-sync offensively,” Larranaga said. “…It wasn’t the script we were looking for. Some of that credit goes to Connecticut to the defense they played. And some of it goes to the venue.”
Miami's second-half run fizzles
The Hurricanes finally showed life after the under-16 media timeout as a 7-0 run trimmed the Miami deficit to 49-37 and forced UConn head coach Dan Hurley to call timeout.
Harlond Beverly connected on a 3-pointer to further the Miami run, but Miami then fouled Hawkins on a 3-point attempt. He converted two of three free throws to give UConn a 13-point advantage.
On the ensuing possessions, Wong hit a turnaround floater and then a 3-pointer for the Hurricanes' seventh consecutive made basket.
Donovan Clingan and Hawkins stymied the Miami run with an offensive putback and 3-pointer that restored the Huskies' lead to 13.
“I just think obviously the group has shown its quality so many times in terms of the level they can play at,” Hurley said. “…It’s a battle-tested team. The guys were able to manage the situation.”
Huskies smother Hurricanes in first half
UConn's defensive intensity limited Miami to just 25 percent shooting in the first half as the Huskies built a 37-24 advantage at halftime.
The Hurricanes made nine shots in the half and were buoyed by three 3-pointers. Jordan Miller led Miami with 7 points in the half.
Meanwhile, UConn shot a scintillating 50 percent from the field and hit six 3-pointers.
UConn's Alex Karaban hit a 3-pointer at the first half buzzer to propel the Huskies into halftime with all the momentum.
South Florida Sadness
The first Final Four to feature two teams from Florida ended in sorrow as Miami (29-8) and Florida Atlantic (35-4) were bounced in semifinal games.
The Owls suffered a heartbreaking end as San Diego State hit a buzzer-beating jumper as time expired to end Florida Atlantic's historic season.
The state of Florida joined North Carolina (Duke, UNC, 2022) and Kentucky (Louisville, UK, 2012) as the only states to place two teams in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament in the same season.
Both teams were making their Final Four debuts.
"I've told them all along that these memories last a lifetime," Larranaga said. "They'll be telling their grandchildren about [this Final Four] run one day."
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Miami basketball overwhelmed by UConn in Final Four loss
