In a dramatic finish, Brandon Johnson’s powerful putback slam with one second remaining secured a thrilling 72-70 victory for the Miami Hurricanes over N.C. State on Saturday. The win was a rare bright spot in what has been a challenging season for both programs.
Miami found itself trailing for most of the contest, only holding the lead twice — when they scored the game’s first basket and when Johnson’s emphatic dunk sealed the victory. The Hurricanes faced a 13-point deficit early in the second half but staged a resilient comeback.
Key three-pointers from Matthew Cleveland and A.J. Stanton-McCray tied the game at 70 with 1:53 remaining. Both teams struggled to break the deadlock down the stretch until Cleveland’s contested layup attempt missed — setting the stage for Johnson’s game-winning slam.
Cleveland delivered a career performance, matching his season- and career-high with 32 points. Johnson recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Jalil Bethea added 10 points for the Hurricanes.
For N.C. State, Dontrez Styles led the Wolfpack with 24 points, Paul McNeil Jr. added 14, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield chipped in 10. N.C. State built a 19-10 lead after a four-point burst by Marcus Hill and carried a 41-31 advantage into halftime. The Wolfpack maintained a single-digit lead for much of the second half but failed to score in the final 3½ minutes, allowing Miami to steal the victory.
The win came just two days after Miami announced Jai Lucas as its new head coach. Lucas, who spent the past three seasons at Duke — including two as associate head coach — is set to be introduced at a press conference on Monday.
Despite the dramatic ending, neither team will continue their season, as both missed the 15-team ACC Tournament. N.C. State (12-19, 5-15 ACC) finished in no better than a tie for 16th, while Miami (7-24, 3-17 ACC) ended in last place in the expanded 18-team conference.
For Miami, the win provides a glimmer of hope as the Hurricanes turn the page to a new chapter under Coach Lucas.
