Mount St. Marys Mountaineers vs. Miami Hurricanes Pick & Prediction DECEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

Following a seven-game losing streak, Miami finally broke out of their slump with a much-needed 94-75 victory over Presbyterian last Sunday.

Now, the Hurricanes (4-7) will attempt to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since their 3-0 start to the season when they face Mount St. Mary's (7-4) on Saturday afternoon.

Last season's Elite Eight team, Miami has faced its fair share of challenges this year. However, head coach Jim Larranaga emphasizes the importance of mental toughness in overcoming tough times.

"It's a long season and we can't predict what will happen tomorrow," Larranaga stated, according to SI.com. "I kept reminding the team in our meetings yesterday to focus on the present and not dwell on the past."

What the Hurricanes can do is continue to strive for balanced scoring, as seen in their first win since defeating Coppin State 93-63 on November 17th.

In the victory over Presbyterian, three players scored 20 or more points, including Matthew Cleveland who had a career-high 24. Brandon Johnson added 22 points and Lynn Kidd recorded his second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Kidd is averaging 11.7 points per game, while Cleveland (10.6) and Johnson (10.1) are also averaging in double figures.

Miami shot an impressive 67.3 percent from the field in their win, setting a school record and raising their season shooting percentage to 49.5.

Leading scorer Nijel Pack (13.9) is not expected to play this weekend as he continues to recover from a foot injury. Larranaga told reporters after Sunday's win that he is unsure when Pack will return to the court.

Mount St. Mary's is coming off an 80-72 victory over LIU and has a 6-3 record in non-conference games this season. This will be the Mountaineers' first matchup against an ACC opponent this year.

Dallas Hobbs leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.0 points per game and 3.7 assists. He is not afraid to face a power conference opponent, as seen in his season-high 21 points against Maryland on November 8th in an 86-52 loss on the road.

"We have a lot of guys who want to take the big shot, who want to make that play," first-year coach Donny Lind told the Frederick News-Post earlier this month.

PREDICTION

Mount St. Marys Mountaineers

Miami Hurricanes

Mount St. Marys Mountaineers vs. Miami Hurricanes Recap DEC 21TH 2024

Terrell Ard Jr. scored 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds as visiting Mount St. Mary's overcame a double-digit halftime deficit and stunned Miami 78-74 in overtime Saturday afternoon.

Carmelo Pacheco poured in 16 points, connecting four times from beyond the arc for the Mountaineers (8-4), who have won two in a row.

Jedy Cordilla scored 11 while Dola Adebayo added 10 points, including a shot with 2:53 to go in the extra session that gave the Mountaineers the lead for good at 72-70. Javon Ervin scored 10 as well.

Matthew Cleveland finished with 19 points for the Hurricanes in defeat. Jalil Bethea added a career-high 17 points while Jalen Blackmon scored 16 for Miami (4-8), which has dropped eight of its last nine.

Bethea attempted a 3-pointer with 16 seconds on the clock, but the open shot was off the mark as Mount St. Mary's held on and improved to 7-3 against nonconference opponents while winning only their second game in program history against an ACC team.

After Adebayo's jumper, Xavier Lipscomb split a pair of free throws at the 2:12 mark for a 73-70 lead and Mount St. Mary's never looked back.

The Mountaineers (8-4) trailed 38-28 at the half but chipped away at the deficit, tying the game at 62-62 with 4:02 left on a 3-pointer by Javon Ervin.

Tied at 66-66 with under a minute left, Blackmon attempted a 3-pointer with seven seconds left for the win. But it was off the mark.

Ard tried to hit a 3-pointer of his own as time expired, but the shot was well off the mark as the game went to OT.

Pacheco drilled two 3-pointers in the first four minutes of the game, including one from the corner that put the Mountaineers up 8-2 at the 16:51 mark.

The Hurricanes finally took their first lead on a deep 3-pointer by Bethea with 10:13 to play that made the score 15-13. Blackmon then extended the advantage to 18-13 with a 3-pointer of his own less than a minute later.

Tied at 18-18 with 8:38 left, the Hurricanes grabbed the momentum by scoring the next 10 points, the run punctuated with Bethea's catch-and-shoot 3-pointer in the corner to give his team a 28-18 advantage with 7:19 to go in the half.

Turnovers were an issue in the first half as the two teams combined for 20. The Hurricanes cashed in more often, though, scoring 19 points off miscues, with two coming off a steal and dunk by A.J. Staton-McCray that extended the Miami lead to 36-26 with 3:14 to go.

This was only the second ever meeting between the two schools. Miami won 86-83 in the first game on Dec. 8, 1966.