Canespace

Newton's Theory Of Relativity

Ja'Quan Newton hit a running 30-footer at the horn to help Miami upset No. 9 North Carolina 91-88 in a wild finish Tuesday night.

Newton's heave off his left foot came immediately after UNC's Joel Berry II hit a tough 3 of his own to tie the game with 4.1 seconds left. Miami pushed the ball upcourt for Newton's shot over Berry, then the Hurricanes immediately mobbed Newton near midcourt.

"When I was guarding Joel, he came down and hit a great shot," Newton said. "Soon as he hit the shot, I came around and I wanted the ball. ... I got it. I looked at the clock when I was dribbling upcourt and it said 3 seconds left.

"I was just like: `I've got to shoot it."

Officials quickly determined the shot came in time.

Miami coach Jim Larranaga said he considered calling a timeout before the Hurricanes inbounded the ball. And as Larranaga gave his postgame comments, Newton stared at a nearby wall-mounted TV replaying his remarkable shot.

Larranaga said the final play ended up being simply: "Ja'Quan, score so we can win this game."

It capped a game that saw Miami (21-8, 10-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) squander a 16-point second-half lead, only to come up with a huge win with the ACC Tournament just a week away.

Try Not To Get Any Tar On Your Heels

Feb. 27, 2018 | 9 p.m.
Dean E. Smith Center | Chapel Hill, N.C.
  
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Winners of back-to-back games, the Miami men's basketball team travels to No. 9 North Carolina Tuesday evening at the Dean Smith Center. Game time is 9 p.m., with ESPN televising the contest. WZAB 880-AM has the local radio broadcast. The game also streams online through the WatchESPN app.
 
The Hurricanes (20-8, 9-7 ACC) rallied from a 14-point deficit late in the second half on Saturday to pull out a 79-78 win over Boston College. Freshman Lonnie Walker IV's 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left capped the comeback. Fellow rookie Chris Lykes scored 11 of his 15 points in the final four minutes, while Walker added 14 points in the game. Dewan Huell scored 16 points and grabbed nine boards while Anthony Lawrence II added 13 points.
 
Since Bruce Brown Jr. went down with an injury eight games ago, Walker and Lykes have stepped up as Miami's leading scorers. Walker has averaged 13.3 points per game in the last eight contests, while Lykes has totaled 13.1 points per game in that span.
 
Miami earned its 20^th victory of the season Saturday, marking the sixth time in seven seasons under Jim Larrañaga the Hurricanes reached the 20-win plateau. Miami joins Duke, North Carolina and Virginia as ACC teams to earn at least six 20-win seasons in the last seven years.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, Miami sits in a three-way tie for sixth place in the ACC at 9-7 with Louisville and Virginia Tech. North Carolina is in third place with a 10-6 conference mark.
 
Overall this season Miami is averaging 74.1 points per game and allowing 66.8 per game. Dewan Huell leads the Hurricanes in scoring at 11.6 points per game, while Walker is scoring 11.5 per game. Walker leads the Canes in scoring in ACC play with 13.8 points per game, while fellow Lykes is averaging 11.4 points per game in conference action.
 
North Carolina (22-7, 11-5 ACC) last played on Wednesday, winning at Syracuse, 78-74, the Tar Heels' sixth straight victory. Luke Maye leads UNC in scoring (18.0) and rebounding (10.2), while Joel Berry II is averaging 17.7 points per game.

Gators Found Beaten With Baseball Bats

Sophomore Evan McKendry rebounded with a dazzling start, and No. 24 Miami handed No. 1 Florida its first loss of the season, 2-0, Sunday afternoon in the series finale at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

After lasting just 3.1 innings last time out against Rutgers, McKendry (1-1) won a pitcher's duel against Gators righthander Tyler Dyson (1-1) with the most impressive outing of his career to help Miami salvage the series.

For the second straight start, McKendry struck out eight batters. But unlike his start last Sunday, the Pembroke Pines, Fla., native worked his way out of any damage to keep the Gators off the scoreboard.

The win helped the Hurricanes avenge a 7-3 loss Friday and a 8-2 loss Saturday.

"It was really a big win for us, needless to say," head coach Jim Morris said. "Florida has a really good club. They're ranked number one in the country, as everyone knows. It was a tremendous challenge for us."

McKendry allowed just two hits in an efficient 87-pitch performance.

"It was really nice. We came out well as a team, a lot of energy," McKendry said. "We brought a lot of energy all weekend, but today especially. We needed to get this win to get us moving. It was nice."

Miami out-hit Florida 7-3 on the afternoon, but senior Michael Burns provided all the offense Miami (3-4) needed on a day when McKendry was in control. Burns broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI double and added an RBI single later in the game.

Junior Andrew Cabezas earned his second save of the season by pitching the final three innings in front of 3,388 fans.

"I think we grew as a team a lot this weekend," Burns said. "We learned a lot all weekend. Finally getting over the hump - we were close, we were close, and then we finally got them on Sunday – moving forward, we're going to be more intense, high confidence team."

With freshman Willy Escala on second base after a double, Burns opened the scoring in the fifth with a double of his own down the left field line, putting Miami ahead 1-0.

Dyson had allowed just three hits prior to Burns' double. He had eight strikeouts and issued zero walks in an impressive performance.

"He was pitching his butt off," Burns said. "He was grinding everybody. It was nice to get one on the board."

Two innings later, Burns chopped an opposite-field single through the right side of the Gators infield to score Freddy Zamora from second and double the Hurricanes' lead.

Florida's first hit off McKendry did not come until the fifth, when a miscommunication among the Miami infield on a sky-high pop-up near the pitcher's resulted in a leadoff double.

"It was a tough play, but there's not much you can do about that," McKendry said. "I lost it right away in the sun. It landed directly on the pitcher's mound, so that's a tough play for any fielder to make."

McKendry was unfazed, however, retiring the next three batters in order, including a swinging strikeout of Nick Horvath that ended the inning and preserved the lead.

"I definitely felt good. It took time for me to find some of my pitches, but once I got going, I felt good," McKendry said. "My off-speed was working, my change-up felt good. Slider – I ended up finding it – felt good."

Better To Be Larranaga Than Good

Freshman Lonnie Walker IV's 3-point field goal with 2.4 seconds remaining propelled the University of Miami basketball team (20-8, 9-7 ACC) to a thrilling 79-78 win over Boston College Saturday afternoon at the Watsco Center.
 
Walker's 3-pointer capped a 26-11 run in the game's final six minutes. The shot also gave Miami its first lead in over 17 minutes of play during the second half.
 
With the win, Miami collected its 20th win on the year. The Hurricanes have now won 20 games in six of the last seven seasons under head coach Jim Larrañaga. The win also snapped Miami's two-game home losing streak. 
 

Miami held a commanding 39-27 advantage on the glass and posted a 27-3 advantage in bench scoring.
 
Sophomore Dewan Huell led the Hurricanes with a team-high 16 points. He also pulled down nine rebounds, which tied for the team lead and just missed his sixth double-double of the year.  
 
Joining Huell in double figures was freshman Chris Lykes, Walker and junior Anthony Lawrence II as they finished with 13, 13 and 11 points, respectively. Lawrence also pulled down nine rebounds. Eleven of Lykes' 13 points came in the second half. 
 
Miami trailed 41-39 at the half despite shooting 52.9 percent from the floor. 
 
Coming out of the locker room, BC extended its lead to 10 in the first 10 minutes of the second half thanks to a 17-8 run. 
 

The Hurricanes trailed by as many as 14 points on two occasions in the second half, but then began to chip away at the BC lead in the final six minutes. 
 
With under two minutes to go in the game, Miami trailed by nine (73-64) and appeared to be facing a third straight loss at home, but the Hurricanes would not quit, trimming BC's lead to five with 1:28. 
 
Miami outscored BC by a 13-5 count in the game's final two minutes to secure the win. Miami returns to action on Tuesday, as it heads to North Carolina for its matchup with the Tar Heels. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m.

Canes Hope To Tame Tigers

#24 Miami (2-1, 0-0 ACC) vs. Missouri (2-1, 0-0 SEC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule | Game Notes

Feb. 21, 2018 | 6 p.m.
Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field | Coral Gables, Fla.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- After capturing its opening series with Rutgers by winning two of three games, No. 24 Miami continues a season-opening, seven-game homestand on Wednesday with a matchup against Missouri. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. from Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

Senior lefthander Michael Mediavilla (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will oppose Missouri junior righthander Brian Sharp (0-0, 0.00) in the matchup, slated for broadcast on ACC Network Extra and WVUM 90.5 FM.

The Hurricanes captured Game 1 and Game 2 against the Scarlet Knights, with junior Danny Reyes leading the offensive charge for the hosts. Reyes, who was named ACC Co-Player of the Week Monday for his standout weekend at the plate, batted .727 for the series with one home run, four doubles and four RBI. His .727 average was the fifth-highest in Division I after the first weekend of action across the nation.

Senior Jeb Bargfeldt did not disappoint when given the Opening Day nod. The Oklahoma native, who was a second-team All-ACC selection a season ago, picked up where he left off with five innings of one-run ball. Bargfeldt, who ranked second in the ACC in ERA as a junior, has allowed two or fewer runs in 13 of his 16 career starts at The U.

Miami was ahead early in Game 3, but Rutgers capitalized on some defensive miscues in the middle innings to salvage the series with a 7-5 victory.

One of the weekend's storylines was Miami's "Fab 5" freshmen, who comprise the starting infield. Four true freshmen - first baseman Alex Toral, second baseman Willy Escala, shortstop Freddy Zamora and third baseman Raymond Gil - join redshirt freshman catcher Michael Amditis in the Hurricanes' infield.

Toral homered for his first career collegiate hit, becoming the first Hurricane to do so since All-American slugger Zack Collins did so in 2014. Amditis ranked second behind Reyes with a .417 average for the weekend, while the other members of the infield - Escala, Gil and Zamora - each collected their first collegiate hits and played impressive defense behind Miami's pitchers.

Junior righthander Andrew Cabezas picked up his first save of the season, while freshman righthander Daniel Federman did not allow a run in two appearances spanning 4.2 innings.

Missouri opened its season by taking two of three games against FIU in a series hosted by the Panthers at FIU Baseball Stadium.

Goodbye Canespace!

So this is how it ends?

We have been through many years and many tears.

We have lived through good times and bad times.

And now, we are absolutely and completely done.

The end of Canespace has come as we know it.

It is sad but true. Certain bloggers ruined it for us all. And that is sad.

It is the result of the complete and total lack of respect from some bloggers.

But it is not surprising. The entire world is so different from when we started.

It has been fun, it has been rewarding. But it is not worth the hassle any longer.

Goodbye Canespace, it has been good to know you.

GO CANES!

I Have A Gift For U

University of Miami Athletics announced Thursday that former Hurricanes football players have collectively raised $2 million dollars in support of the Carol Soffer Football Indoor Practice Facility.
 
The most recent commitment -- a $100,000 gift from current Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen -- helped the football alumni reach the $2 million mark, which includes head coach Mark Richt's leadership gift of $1 million.
 
"Greg and Kara Olsen's $100,000 gift just allowed us to reach our goal of $2 million from our football alumni," Richt said. "I thank them both so much."
 
Olsen played three years at Miami (2004-06) before the Chicago Bears selected him in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played four seasons with the Bears before signing with the Panthers in 2011. He is a three-time Pro Bowl selection, and in 2016 became the first tight end in league history to post three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
 

"The University of Miami holds a special place in my heart," Olsen said. "My wife Kara and I met as freshmen at UM and have shared many great memories together over the years. We will always be supporters of both the school as well as the football team.
 
"Our goal is to contribute in making Miami a consistent force on a national level. We hope these facilities aid in our ability to attract top tier talent to the University and win championships."
 
Olsen is one of more than 80 former players who have donated to the construction of the $34 million facility, which is scheduled to be completed in August of this year. The 81,800-square-foot facility will feature two field-turf fields and a football operations center that houses all of the coaches' office space with views overlooking the indoor fields. In recognition of Olsen's gift, one of the position coach's offices will be named The Greg & Kara Olsen Assistant Football Coach's Office.
 
"I'm overwhelmed by the love and support of our football alumni, as over 80 players donated a total of $2 million," Richt said. "Our U Family is strong!"

Cavs Crush Canes

Freshman guard Chris Lykes scored a career-high 19 points, but it was not enough as the University of Miami men's basketball team dropped a 59-50 decision to the top-ranked University of Virginia at the Watsco Center.
 
Lykes finished the game by going 6-of-12 from the floor and connected on 3-of-7 shots from beyond the arc. Seventeen of his team-high 19 points came in the second half. 
 
Junior Ebuka Izundu (4-of-6) also chipped in with eight points off the bench. Fellow junior Anthony Lawrence II also chipped in with a team-high seven rebounds. 
 
With the loss, Miami dropped to 12-10 all-time against Virginia. The Cavaliers picked up just their second win ever in Coral Gables, running their to record 2-8 against Miami on the road. 
 
Virginia never trailed, held a 27-18 advantage in bench scoring and outrebounded the Hurricanes 32-24 to hand the Hurricanes just their second loss at home this year. 
 

Miami struggled in the early going, as it scored just five points in the opening nine minutes of the game and trailed by eight to go in the first half with 10:30 to go until the break.
 
The Hurricanes charged back with a 7-0 run over the minute and a half to trim Virginia's lead to one at 13-12 with 9:26 to go until half. 
 
Virginia responded to the Hurricanes' push, as it closed out the half on a high note, holding Miami to just four points for the remainder of the period to take a 27-16 lead into the locker room. 
 
Miami came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders as it trimmed UVA's lead to three with 14:21` to go thanks to a 10-2 run. The Hurricanes remained within striking distance through much of the second half, but the Cavaliers began to pull away with under seven and a half minutes to go, as they opened up a double-digit lead. 
 
The Hurricanes would not get any closer than nine points for the remainder of the game, as Virginia secured its 24th win on the year. 

Now That's The Way U Do It!

University of Miami Athletics honored 11 of its student-athletes Sunday at the fourth annual Celebration of Women's Athletics Presented by Adidas.

More than 300 people attended the event, which was held at the Watsco Fieldhouse prior to Miami's women's basketball game against Atlantic Coast Conference rival Florida State. This year's CWA featured ESPN college analyst and reporter Maria Taylor as emcee and former UM All-American and three-time Olympic medalist Lauryn Williams as the keynote speaker.

The CWA honors current Miami female student-athletes from each of UM's nine women's programs for excellence on the playing field, as well as in the classroom and community. It also honors some of the pioneers who have helped pave the way for the continued success of women's athletics at Miami. 

This year's CWA winners were as follows:

• Senior Erykah Davenport (basketball)
• Junior Anne den Otter (cross country)
• Junior Brittny Ellis (indoor track and field)
• Senior Wally Layland (diving)
• Senior Sinead Lohan (tennis)
• Senior Taegan Lynch (rowing)
• Junior Anna Runia (outdoor track and field)
• Junior Hayley Templeton (volleyball)
• Senior Phallon Tullis-Joyce (soccer)
• Junior Dewi Weber (golf)
• Junior Roxanne Yu (swimming)

Williams set seven school records at UM, earning All-American honors nine times and winning the NCAA title in the 100 meters as a senior in 2004. She won the silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and later won a gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London as a member of the 4x100 meter relay team. Williams also owns three World Championships gold medals, one in the 100 meters (2005) and two in the 4x100 meter relay (2005, 2007).

After announcing her retirement from track and field in 2013, Williams joined the U.S. bobsled team and earned a silver medal in the two-woman bobsled at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. She is one of only five athletes to win a medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games – and is the first American woman to accomplish the feat.

Let's Swing This Thing!

The University of Miami baseball program will host its annual FanFest & Alumni Game on Saturday, Feb. 10 at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.

The annual event, free to the public, will feature an autograph session with the team, a face tattoo station, photos with the Miami Maniac and more. The 2018 Hurricanes will take on the Hurricanes Alumni beginning at 6 p.m.

See below for a full schedule of the FanFest & Alumni Game events.

4:00 PM                 Gates open for FanFest

• Ticket & group information and Select-a-Seat begins

4:00 PM-               Team Autograph Session Begins (location near locker room)
5:00 PM                                
               
4:15 PM-               Alumni Batting Practice on Field
5:00 PM 

5:15 PM                 Alumni Introductions
                                               
 
6:00 PM                 2018 Miami Hurricanes Baseball Alumni Game