Frank Haith's boys started the game like they had something to prove. After Jack McClinton's third three-pointer in the first ten minutes, the Canes were up 16-4 with 11:46 to go in the first frame. Team defense was on point, and so wasn't team's shooting.
The arena was erupting. Fans were jumping up and down. A pregnant woman in the crowd agreed with her husband: their son would be named McClinton. The Canes had turned the corner. The Canes were for real.
Well, that was about the game's zenith for Hurricane fans. Even after Miami headed into the locker room up 14 at half, a strange sense of uneasiness pervaded the BankUnited Center on Tuesday night.
McClinton had been ejected after his fourth consecutive three-pointer for ripping some Buckeye player's eyeball out of his socket on a retaliation swipe. I figure that's what must have happened to earn his early ejection last night. Word gets out that sophomore Eddie Rios is suspended indefinitely; not an ideal scenario for a team who was left with one option at point guard (Lance Hurdle) for the rest of the game.
No one was stepping up to take over in Jack's absence. Yeah, the Canes were up 14, but they were going to lose this game if they kept letting Ohio State get open three-point looks and uncontested shots from the perimeter. As fans headed back to their seats with napkins in their hands (to prepare for the sweat in the game's closing moments, not to wipe mustard off their pants), everyone was uncomfortable. Were the Hurricanes really going to lose this game?
Lose it they did. In spectacular fashion.
Ohio State started the second half on a 15-2 run and closed the Canes halftime lead from 14 (36-22) to 1 (38-37) in less than five minutes. If anyone was taking an especially long time in the bathroom because they pre-gamed too hard, they should consider themselves lucky. The first five minutes of the second half (along with the rest of it, for that matter) was vomit-inducing, to say the least.
18 turnovers. 51 points allowed in the second half. 26.1% from three-point range for the game (6 for 23), 11% (2 for 19) without Jack's four. So even after out-rebounding the Buckeyes by 14 (44 to 30), the Hurricanes decided to keep shooting.
I'm not sure whose fault that is. Why the Canes weren't looking for Dwayne Collins, Jimmy Graham and Cyrus McGowan everytime down the court is beyond me. The Buckeyes big men did not look up to the challenge of stopping the Canes trio on every possession. Is it Frank Haith's fault for the lack of looks to the post? Potentially.
Either way, Lance Hurdle forced up too many shots, and finished 5 for 14 but only 2 for 10 from three-point range (with one the luckiest three-pointer made in recent memory). James Dews missed all five of his three-point attempts and finished with four points on 2 for 12 shooting. McGowan shot 2 for 8 from the field and didn't hit either of his three-point attempts. Brian Asbury shot 3 for 9 and missed both of his three-pointers as well.
It's time to shake things up. Dews needs to ride the pine for awhile until he can re-locate his game, which has been missing all year. DeQuan Jones was hustling out there but was in foul trouble all night. A line-up shuffle is in need after last night's lackluster performance. When no player steps up in one of the biggest games before A.C.C. play, it's time to switch things around. The Hurricanes' performance last night was simply not acceptable.
The Canes have a deep team. The bench is talented. More great players are committing to Miami. Frank Haith is an improving coach.
But something became painfully obvious last night after all of this progress: The Hurricanes still cannot win against good competition without Jack McClinton. It's sad, and it doesn't bode particularly well for the future, but after last night's game, it's the way things are in Coral Gables.
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