CORAL GABLES, Fla. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – Getting a career-high 20 points from junior Carrington Love (Milwaukee, Wis.), visiting Green Bay (6-2) led for more than 35 minutes on Saturday afternoon and defeated No. 15/15 Miami (8-1) 68-55 at the BankUnited Center. The victory marks the first road win over a ranked opponent in program history and the first win over a ranked opponent since 2009-10.
The Phoenix victory comes nearly a year to the date of last season's 74-72 victory over another ACC opponent, Virginia. Green Bay improved to 4-0 on the season in Florida.
Love added career-high totals in rebounds (9), steals (4) and blocks (2) and tied his career highs in field goals made (6) and minutes (36) in leading the Phoenix win. Senior Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) made 7-of-8 free throws and added 18 points and seven rebounds as Green Bay's starting backcourt combined for 38 points and 16 rebounds.
Miami scored the first four points of the afternoon, but the Phoenix responded with the next seven points and did not trail the rest of the game. After a run including three baskets from sophomore Kenneth Lowe (Little Chute, Wis.), Green Bay's lead reached 22-11 with 7:41 to play before intermission. Lowe finished with eight points.
Miami scored 12 of the final 15 points before the break, but Green Bay still led 25-23 on the strength of its defense. The previously undefeated Hurricanes shot just 30.3 percent from the field in the half.
Green Bay's lead was just 31-30 five minutes into the second half, but the Phoenix erupted for a 17-2 run over the next five minutes to lead 48-32 with 9:30 to play. Love scored seven points and Sykes added four during the run.
The Hurricanes closed to 48-43 with an 11-0 run before seniors Greg Mays (Chicago, Ill.) and Alfonzo McKinnie (Chicago, Ill.) combined for the play of the game. Sykes threw a long pass ahead to Mays, who saved it under the bucket and found a cutting McKinnie for a monster dunk in the lane and a 50-43 lead with 4:44 on the clock.
The Phoenix lead was at least seven for the rest of the game, and Sykes and Love combined to make 14-of-16 free throws to ice the historic victory.
Miami entered having scored 70 or more points in six of games and at least 65 in all eight victories, but the Phoenix held the Hurricanes to just 55 points on a season-low 32.8 percent shooting from the field and a season-low five three-pointers. Green Bay's defense held point guard Angel Rodriguez (14.1 PPG) to just 12 points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field. Led by its backcourt, Green Bay also outrebounded the Hurricanes 46-37.
After contributing 11 points on 4-of-21 shooting in Thursday's loss, Green Bay's four starters not named Sykes totaled 41 points on 16-of-31 shooting on Saturday.
Green Bay returns home for its next two games, beginning with a contest against Drake on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. at the Resch Center.
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