No. 5 Miami Hurricanes head to Kansas City for Sweet 16 appearance vs. No. 1 Houston

No. 9 Canes women’s basketball team will face the No. 4 Villanova Wildcats

Isaiah Wong #2 of the Miami Hurricanes reacts in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers during the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 19, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) (Rob Carr, 2023 Getty Images)

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The No. 5 Miami Hurricanes are certainly no strangers to the NCAA Tournament.

With a win against No 12. Drake, the Canes have now experienced back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances for the first time in program history.

Recommended Videos



The Canes Men’s Basketball team is officially on its way to the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City where they will face No.1 Houston Friday at 7:15 p.m.

Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar and Norchad Omier made sure the season continued for fifth-seeded Miami.

Pack finished the game with 21 points including the go-ahead jumper and a pair of free throws in the final minute to rally the Canes past Drake 63-56 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last Friday.

Canes forward Norchad Omier, who has been battling an ankle injury since the start of the tournament, finished with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.

The Miami Hurricanes Women’s basketball team is also on the road to the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina to face the No. 4 Villanova Wildcats.

Canes forward Destiny Harden told Local 10 News that her team has been studying a lot of film on the Wildcats.

“We’re gonna come back together and focus on Villanova. We’re gonna do what we can to win that game and continue to make history for Miami basketball,” she said.

In its second-round matchup, Villanova beat FGCU 76-57 Monday. Madison Siegrist scored a team-high 31 points.

Lola Pendande’s 19 points led the way for the Canes as Miami won its second-round game against Indiana 70-68.

Tip-off for that game is set for 2:30 p.m.

With a win on Friday, both the Miami Hurricanes men’s and women’s basketball teams will advance to the “Elite 8″ together for the first time in school history.


About the Author

Ryan Mackey is a Digital Journalist at WPLG. He was born in Long Island, New York, and has lived in Sunrise, Florida since 1994.

Recommended Videos