Middle Tennessee St. @ Miami preview

Miami looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season as the seventh-ranked Hurricanes face Middle Tennessee State on Christmas Day in the third-place game of the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu. Miami shot a season-low 34 percent in Saturday’s 63-54 loss to New Mexico State, while Middle Tennessee State’s defense faltered late in an 89-84 setback to USC.

After opening the tournament with a 75-57 victory over Hawaii, the Hurricanes trailed at the half for the first time this season against New Mexico State and were only 2-for-18 from 3-point range. Guards Dejan Vasiljevic and Bruce Brown Jr. combined for 28 points for Miami, which entered the game as one of four remaining unbeaten teams in the country. Center Dewan Huell continued his strong play with 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds, but the Hurricanes committed 14 turnovers and were outrebounded 43-38. Coach Jim Larranaga’s squad will need to regroup in time to face Middle Tennessee State, which led USC by as many as nine points in the second half but saw its bid for a signature win fall short in the final minutes.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT MIAMI (10-1): Huell averages 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds to lead the Hurricanes, who were off to their best start since 2007-08 before Saturday’s loss to the Aggies, who recorded their first win over a ranked team in 10 seasons. Guards Lonnie Walker IV and Chris Lykes played key roles in the team’s 10-0 run but missed all 10 of their field-goal attempts and were held to a combined three points against New Mexico State. The Hurricanes are second in the nation in scoring defense at 57 points per game but need an improved effort on offense after scoring 54 points on Saturday, well below their season average of 74.7.

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE (8-3): Forward Nick King had 28 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to USC, which shot 57.8 percent from the field, including 68.2 percent in the second half. The Blue Raiders sent the Trojans to the foul line 33 times and struggled to contain 6-11, 225-pound forward Chimezie Metu, who scored 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting. King averages team highs of 22.9 points and 6.9 rebounds to lead the Blue Raiders, whose resume includes wins over SEC foes Vanderbilt and Ole Miss.

TIP-INS

1. Miami has held eight of its 11 opponents to fewer than 60 points.

2. Middle Tennessee State has gone 12-10 against Power 5 teams since the start of the 2011-12 season.

3. Miami is 62-11 when scoring 70 or more points under Larranaga.

PREDICTION: Miami 73, Middle Tennessee State 65