HOUSTON — The buzz around the University of Miami team hotel was palpable for days leading up to the Hurricanes’ Final Four game against Connecticut late Saturday night.
Thousands of fans and former players spanning all the eras, milled around the lobby, marveling at how a program that didn’t even exist in the mid-’80s and then held open tryouts for its resurrected team on the student union patio, could find itself two wins from a national title.
But there they were, in the 72,000-seat NRG Stadium, hoping to keep their magical ride going in front of the largest and most boisterous UM basketball crowd in history.
The Huskies proved too much for the Hurricanes. The four-time national champions, playing in their sixth Final Four, looked like a team that had been there before and overwhelmed Miami, 72-59, to advance to Monday’s championship game.
Miami gave fans a glimmer of hope by closing the deficit to eight points late in the game, but missed its final seven shots and scored no field goals in the final six minutes.
UConn had beaten its previous four NCAA Tournament opponents by an average margin of 22.5 points, and the Huskies displayed their dominance again.
Miami’s exit was the second South Florida heartbreak of the night.
When the Hurricanes took the court for warmups before the night’s second semifinal, their neighbors from 50 miles up the road, the Florida Atlantic Owls, were trudging to the tunnel in disbelief after their fairy tale March run ended with a San Diego State buzzer-beater.
Miami’s loss was not as dramatic.
The Hurricanes had made a name for themselves with their high-octane offense, which averaged 80 points per game this season. They poured in 85 points against Indiana, 89 against top-seeded Houston and 88 against second-seeded Texas in their previous three NCAA Tournament games.
It was a different story on Saturday. They scored just 24 points against UConn in the first half.
UConn took control of the game early, racing to a 14-4 lead in the opening minutes as the Hurricanes, who looked nervous and rushed, struggled to get anything going. Miami missed 12 of its first 13 shots.
The Huskies played tenacious defense at the point of attack, made the Miami guards uncomfortable and dominated the post.
The Hurricanes had no answer for Adama Sanogo, who had a game-high 13 points at the half and finished with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds.
Isaiah Wong led Miami with 15 points and Jordan Miller had 11. Norchad Omier was limited to eight points and seven rebounds. Nijel Pack was 3 of 10 for eight points with one assist. Wooga Poplar went 0 for 7.
Miami shot 25% from the field in the first half and fell behind 37-24.
UConn opened a 20-point lead, 46-26, early in the second half and it appeared the game was out of reach for the Hurricanes. But Miami fans hung onto a sliver of hope because the “Cardiac Canes,” as this team has been nicknamed, had pulled off some stunning comebacks in recent weeks.
In their NCAA Tournament opener against Drake, the Canes trailed by eight with five minutes to go and rallied for the victory. Last weekend, No. 2 seed Texas led Miami by 13 midway through the second half, and the Hurricanes chipped away and came out with a seven-point win.
UM went on a 7-0 run, got to within eight points of the Huskies on a Wong 3-pointer with 11 minutes to go, but never got closer.
Despite 13 turnovers by the Huskies, the Hurricanes never were able to get a foothold on the game. The few times they cut the gap to single digits, UConn scored on the other end.
The Miami students, who scooped up the 700 designated tickets within hours last weekend, packed the end zone and outnumbered UConn students. They screamed their lungs out and waved hand-made posters. But they didn’t get the ending they had hoped for.
No matter the result, former Hurricanes players said this Final Four run will have a lasting impact on the program. Among the 30-plus former players who attended the game were Darius Rice, John Salmons, Jack McClinton, Constantin Popa, Mario Bland and Steve Edwards.
“It means so much, because at the end of the day, Miami is an amazing university, but it’s never been known as a basketball school,” McClinton said. “We had been to the tournament, made the round of 32, but it’s amazing to see these guys take it to the next level. Elite Eight last year and now the Final Four.
“Coach [Jim] Larranaga’s done a great job of having these guys buy into what he’s saying, and they deserve to be here. This is not a fluke. Hopefully, we will finally get the respect we deserve and our former players are bonding over this and building a brotherhood like the Dukes and other blue bloods have. UM basketball is here to stay.”
