Field Level Media
Feb 1, 2021
Elijah Olaniyi came off the injured list and scored a team-high and season-high 21 points as the host Miami Hurricanes -- competing with just seven available scholarship players -- upset the Duke Blue Devils 77-75 in an ACC game on Monday night.
Isaiah Wong and Anthony Walker added 16 points each for Miami. Walker also made two key free throws with 12 seconds left to help beat Duke.
Wong, though, missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw with three seconds left, giving Duke the chance for a win. But Matthew Hurt, who led Duke with 21 points and was lined off for a 3-pointer, received a late pass and could not get the ball off before the buzzer sounded to end the game.
Three other Duke players scored in double figures: Wendell Moore Jr. with 18, DJ Steward with 14 and Jalen Johnson added 13.
Olaniyi, who had missed two games in a row due to a shoulder injury, had a game-high-tying seven rebounds and a game-high three steals. He made 8-of-10 from the floor and 3-for-5 on 3-pointers.
Miami (7-10, 3-9 ACC), an 11-point underdog, broke its season-worst four-game losing streak. The Hurricanes, who entered the game ranked No. 320 out of 340 Division I teams in 3-point shooting (28.4 percent), were hot on this night. They were 7-for-13 on 3-pointers (53.8 percent).
Duke (7-6, 5-4) had its two-game winning streak snapped. Duke also lost its first game this season when leading at halftime (6-1).
Despite the return of Olaniyi, the Hurricanes were still short-handed. Chris Lykes (ankle) and Earl Timberlake (shoulder) could return soon, but Rodney Miller (knee) and Sam Waardenburg (foot) are out for the season.
There were 13 lead changes in the first half. Miami led by as many as six points, but Duke switched to a zone to challenge the Hurricanes' weakness, perimeter shooting. The strategy paid off, Duke finished the half on a 10-2 run and took a 35-33 lead into the break.
The Hurricanes made just 2-of-7 3-pointers in the first half (28.6 percent). But Duke struggled even more, making just 1-of-8 (12.5 percent). Hurt led all first-half scorers with 11 points as he shot 5-for-6 on 2-pointers but 0-for-3 on 3-pointers.
Miami finished the game shooting 52.5 percent from the floor.
Duke shot 46 percent, including 5-for-18 on 3-pointers (27.8 percent).
--Field Level Media