Hurricanes Ready For Tough Road Test Against Notre Dame
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SOUTH BEND (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The University of Miami Men's Basketball Team is entering the home stretch of the regular season.
No. 7 Miami is two wins away from at least a share of the ACC regular-season title, but winning in South Bend against Notre Dame on Wednesday will be no easy task.
The Fighting Irish are 13-1 at home and should be in a foul mood after suffering a 77-56 loss at Florida State last time out.
The Hurricanes are riding high following wins over Virginia and Louisville, marking the first time in program history they have recorded back-to-back victories over top-15 teams.
"We're feeling very good," guard Davon Reed told reporters after the Hurricanes learned they had moved up in the rankings from No. 11. "Things are clicking at the right time. We're definitely hitting our stride right now. Everybody is very confident and playing very well together."
Notre Dame, while looking like an NCAA Tournament lock, can't be happy after having lost two of its last three games and producing a season low in points and shooting percentage (35.7) against FSU.
Miami handled Mike Brey's team with ease earlier this season, leading by double digits for most of the game while shooting 56.4 percent in a 79-70 victory.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT MIAMI (23-5, 12-4 ACC): While Sheldon McClellan (team-leading 15.6 points) is first among guards in the ACC in shooting percentage (50.6), he has struggled with a sore ankle over the last five games, averaging 13 points on 35.7 percent shooting.
Reed (11.1 points), however, has picked up the slack by averaging 13.6 points in those contests and is 11-of-15 from the field in the last two.
With backup Ja'Quan Newton (10.9 points) serving a three-game suspension, point guard Angel Rodriguez (11.5, 4.4 assists) stepped up with a 17-point, seven-assist performance against Louisville and James Palmer (3.6 points) chipped in with a 3-of-3 shooting effort off the bench.
ABOUT NOTRE DAME (19-9, 10-6): The Fighting Irish have plenty of offensive weapons with five players - led by Demetrius Jackson (team-high 16.3 points, 4.9 assists) - averaging in double figures.
Zach Auguste (14 points) is the team's best inside scorer and also the ACC's second-leading rebounder (10.4).
Steve Vasturia (12.5 points) and V.J. Beachem (11.4) are 3-point threats while Bonzie Colson (11.6 on 53.2 percent shooting) is a versatile forward who helps Auguste clean the glass (7.1 rebounds).
TIP INS
- Miami (12-2) is one of two teams - No. 1 Kansas is the other - with 12 wins against teams in the top 50 of ESPN's BPI rankings,
- While the Hurricanes finished the season 15-1 at home, they are only 5-4 in true road games.
- Colson led Notre Dame with 17 points while Jackson recorded only six on 3-of-11 shooting in Miami's earlier win over the Fighting Irish.
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