Miami (Fla.) rallied from trailing by eight points with 3:41 left to defeat NC State 72-70 at home Saturday in Coral Gables, Fla.
Miami star senior forward Matthew Cleveland finished with 32 points, but one of his misses happened on the Hurricanes’ last possession of the game. Miami had the ball with 23 seconds left and called timeout.
Cleveland drove hard right and missed his drive, but senior post player Brandon Johnson flew in for the follow-up dunk with one second left. Johnson finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the victory, which was Miami’s Senior Day. Johnson went to Rolesville (N.C.) High and played three years at East Carolina.
NC State finished the 2024-25 season at 12-19 overall and 5-11. Miami improved to 7-24 overall and 3-17 in the league.
Both teams were playing for pride, since neither will be in next week’s ACC Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. The Hurricanes were also missing starting center Lynn Kidd, and didn’t have guards Nijel Pack and Jalen Blackmon and forward Paul Djobet.
NC State has struggled in a few areas this season, including going 0-14 in games on the road or at a neutral court. The game drew a listed attendance of 2,541.
The Wolfpack also had problems finishing out games, and that was clear against the Hurricanes, who trailed by 13 points near the beginning of the second half. Senior forward Dontrez Styles went 4 of 7 from three-point land for 24 points in his last college game.
Freshman wing Paul McNeil provided a first-half spark with 10 of his 14 points. He went 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. McNeil’s mid-range jumper was NCSU’s last basket with 3:41 left in the game.
NC State had seven of its nine turnovers in the second half, and Miami got out on the break, particularly Cleveland. The Hurricanes held a 22-8 advantage on fast-break points.
Miami shot 57.1 percent from the field in the second half and became more confident with each shot Cleveland was making.
NC State in turn went cold. The Wolfpack had six possessions in the final 3:41 of the game, and went 0 of 4 with two turnovers, including a shot violation when the game was tied 70-70 with 23 seconds left.
NC State played without freshman point guard Treymane Parker against Miami, and both sophomore forward Dennis Parker and junior power forward Ishmael Diouf didn’t enter the game. NCSU has played this season without redshirt junior wing Mike James, who had complications from a preseason knee surgery.
NC State enters the offseason with at least four scholarships to use for the transfer portal, which starts March 22..
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