With a 700th coaching win now secure with his team’s 74-64 victory over Providence, Miami’s Jim Larranaga is looking to Sunday’s matchup with Maryland in the championship game of the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Uncasville, Conn.
The Terrapins (4-0) earned the berth against the Hurricanes (4-0) with a 95-67 rout of Saint Louis in Saturday’s opening game in the four-team event.
“They’ve got a terrific team,” Larranaga said of Maryland. “They’re in the Big Ten, a lot of good players, and we’re very familiar with what they do.”
What the Terrapins did against the Billikens was hold them to 25 percent shooting from the field in building a 51-27 halftime lead and coasting from there.
Donta Scott led Maryland with 25 points, and Hakim Hart and Don Carey — a grad transfer from Georgetown — scored 16 each.
Maryland’s first-year coach, Kevin Willard, said Sunday is “an opportunity to win a championship. Anytime you have an opportunity like that, you have to seize it, take advantage of it. I think these guys are getting rewarded for their hard work.”
Willard said it has been “so much fun” with his initial group of Terrapins because of the way they execute the game plan he and his staff implement.
“They’re really paying attention to the scouting report, they’re embracing the scouting report, and then they’re going out and executing it,” he said. “For being such a young group together, even though they’re older guys, I’m really happy with the way they’re coming out with their intensity and then we’re sticking to the defensive game plan.”
Larranaga said Miami’s victory over his alma mater, Providence, was “a terrific win for us. They’re very, very good at both ends of the court, and I thought our guys rose to the occasion and did a great job.”
Norchad Omier recorded a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds and Isaiah Wong scored 18 points. The Hurricanes won the rebounding battle 38-29 and forced the Friars into 14 turnovers, leading to a 19-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
–Field Level Media
