LATE RALLY LIFTS HURRICANES PAST RADFORD, 75-58, IN TITLE GAME

BOX SCORE CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Tied at 46 with 11:45 remaining, Miami used a 9-0 run to ignite a second-half rally that allowed the Hurricanes to push past the Radford women's basketball team, 75-58, in the championship game of the UM Thanksgiving Tournament at the BankUnited Center Saturday night.

“We played right with one of the top teams in the ACC for 35 minutes,” head coach Tajama Abraham Ngongba said. “Miami was able to get a few transition baskets at the end to make a late push, which ended up being the difference in the game.”

Ashley Buckhannon led the Highlanders (3-2) for the second straight day with 15 points. All-tournament selections Ayana Avery and Sarah Tabb contributed 14 and 10 points, respectively. Tabb also added a team-best nine rebounds.

The Hurricanes (4-1) were led by tournament MVP Morgan Stroman, who tallied a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds. Joining her on the all-tournament team was Stefanie Yderstrom, who finished with 15 points. Krystal Saunders added 13 points for the hosts.

After a battle of defenses in the first half, the offensive pace came to life in the early stages of the second stanza. Stroman's layup at the 16:19 mark of the second half gave Miami a 44-38 advantage. From there, Jordynn Gaymon connected on three straight buckets to tie the game at 44 with 12:17 showing on the clock.

After Avery tied the contest at 46 on a gliding layup, the Hurricanes were able to mount a game-changing rally. Caprice Dennis nailed a 3-pointer at the 11:09 mark to initiate the 9-0 run that put Miami ahead (55-46) for good with 9:09 remaining.

Buckhannon swished her third and final triple with 4:21 showing on the clock to pull the Highlanders to within seven (62-55), but the hosts made their free throws down the stretch to preserve the victory.

Radford shot 31.3 percent (20-64) from the floor for the game, while the Hurricanes had a 39.2 percent (29-74) clip. Miami used its height to win the battle of the boards (51-43) and points in the paint (36-18). The hosts also forced 20 turnovers, while only committing 13 themselves.

The first half was a defensive battle with both teams struggling to get in an offensive rhythm. Behind three early treys, the Hurricanes jolted out to an 11-4 lead before the first media timeout. A Diani Mason free throw ignited an 8-0 rally, however, to help the Highlanders reclaim the lead (12-11). With Miami on top 18-14, Avery completed a rare four-point play when she drilled a 3-pointer and converted the free throw to tie the game at 18.

The Canes threatened to pull away, leading 27-22 with less than two minutes until intermission. RU had other plans as Buckhannon knocked down two charity tosses and Breshara Gordon connected on a running deuce before the buzzer to make the score 31-28 in favor of Miami at the break.

Both teams locked down defensively, as Miami shot 34.3 percent (12-35) and Radford finished at 27.6 percent (8-29) for the opening half of action.

Radford must now turn its attention to the squad's Big South opener next Saturday (Dec. 1) against preseason favorite Liberty. The Lady Flames and the Highlanders are set to clash at 3:00 p.m. inside the Dedmon Center.

“We are definitely going to take the positives from this game and this tournament,” commented Ngongba. “This was a great test for our team and will help us improve as we move forward and focus on Liberty.”

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