Two conference opponents seeking some consistency will square off on Wednesday as Miami hosts Stanford in Atlantic Coast Conference play at Coral Gables, Fla.
This will be the second meeting between the Hurricanes and the Cardinal since Stanford joined the ACC in 2024. Stanford won the first matchup at home 88-51 on Jan. 22, 2025.
The Hurricanes (16-4, 5-2 ACC) ended a two-game skid their last time out with an 85-76 win against Syracuse. The Hurricanes held off the Orange for a 41-36 lead heading into halftime, then kept the hosts at bay for the win.
Malik Reneau had his sixth double-double of the season, posting 20 points and 11 rebounds. Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson each posted 16 points and three rebounds. Reneau and Donaldson each added a team-high five assists.
“Winning on the road is always hard, especially in this environment, which is one of the most historic in college basketball,” Hurricanes head coach Jai Lucas said. “We had been having trouble turning the ball over, and we ended up with 16 turnovers again. That led to 17 points for them. But we were able to battle and compete throughout the game as they connected. And this was a big win for us just because we’re coming off two losses, and we needed something to get back on the right side.”
Getting back on the right side is exactly what Stanford wants to do to end their own two-game losing skid.
The Cardinal (14-6, 3-4) suffered an 80-50 home loss to Duke on Jan. 17, then were held off by local rival Cal in a 78-66 loss their last time out. Ebuka Okorie, who ranks 12th in Division I with 21.7 points per game, has been held below 15 points in three of his last four games.
In the loss to Cal, the Cardinal built an early double-digit lead but was unable to stymie the Golden Bears’ rally.
“That was a great atmosphere. Nice to have the Bay Area have a Stanford-Cal game like that. I wish we would have done our part, played a little better,” Stanford head coach Kyle Smith said. “Some big swings in that game, I love the way we came out, up 29-13. … Obviously, they weren’t going to (keep shooting) that way. They’re a good shooting team.”
–Field Level Media
