UNC’s Platek Hits Late Layup to Down Miami
CORAL GABLES, Fl – The North Carolina Tar Heels continued to struggle with turnovers and defensive mental lapses but was bailed out by an Andrew Platek game-winning layup with 3.8 seconds remaining to give UNC the 67-65 win over the Miami Hurricanes.
This was the first road win in conference play for the Tar Heels this season.
Platek, the senior guard led scoring off the bench with seven points
Junior guard Leaky Black had a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds. Black also shot 4-4 from the 3pt line, also notching a career-high in 3-point shots made in a game.
Freshmen guard Kerwin Walton (13 pts) and center Day’ron Sharpe (12 pts) both scored double-figures for the Heels, who are now 2-0 in the year 2021. This marks the 2nd time UNC has won two games in a row by two points or less since the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
Miami (4-5, 0-4 ACC) freshman guard Earl Timberlake led the Hurricanes in scoring with twelve points, along with ten points from senior center Nysier Brooks, and eleven points off the bench from Stony Brook-transfer Elijah Olaniyi. The Hurricanes went scoreless late in the 2nd half, allowing UNC to create a 13-2 run to climb back into the game before eventually hitting the game-winner.
Up next for the Tar Heels (7-4, 2-2) is a matchup with the 19th-ranked Clemson back home in Chapel Hill on Saturday, January 9th.