The University of Miami men’s basketball team’s second-half comeback fell just short as the Hurricanes (3-4) lost to the Charleston Southern Buccaneers (2-7), 83-79, Saturday afternoon at the Watsco Center.
Senior Brandon Johnson led the Hurricanes in scoring, pouring in 23 points for his eighth career 20-point game. Freshman Austin Swartz recorded his first double-digit game as a Hurricane with 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting.
The 3-pointers were falling for both teams in the first half as Miami and Charleston Southern combined to knock down 14 threes in the first 20 minutes of action.
Miami took an early 10-6 lead in the game, but the Buccaneers strung together an 11-0 run midway through the frame to go up, 21-17, at the 11:58 mark of the first half. A dunk by Swartz but the Hurricanes back on top, 30-29, with 6:49 to play in the half.
The final six minutes of the half featured four lead changes but the Buccaneers closed the half on a 9-2 run to lead, 45-37, at halftime.
Charleston Southern continued its offensive dominance in the second half, extending its lead to 13, 55-42, just four minutes into the frame.
Down 10 points with 12:37 to play, Miami stormed back to tie the game at 67-all on a converted and-one by Johnson. Swartz put the Hurricanes back on top for the first time since the 4:47 mark in the first half with his third 3-pointer of the game.
The Buccaneers responded with a pair 3-pointers to take an 81-79 lead with 22 seconds to play in the game. The Hurricanes had an opportunity to regain the lead, but Swartz missed on a 3-pointer and Charleston Southern secured the win.
Miami will host No. 19/21 Arkansas on Tuesday night for the SEC/ACC Challenge. Tipoff at the Watsco Center is set for 7 p.m. and the game will air on ESPN2.
