In a thrilling ACC matchup, Matthew Cleveland led the Miami Hurricanes to a 91-84 victory over Syracuse on Tuesday night, setting a new career-high with 32 points. Cleveland was electric, shooting 10-for-13 from the field and sinking 10 of 12 free throws while also contributing five assists. This performance surpassed his previous career-best of 31 points, achieved in a blowout win against SMU on January 18.
Jalil Bethea added 21 points for Miami (6-18, 2-11 ACC), which showed remarkable efficiency by shooting 55.4% (31 of 56) from the field, including an impressive 10-for-20 from beyond the arc. Miami’s reserves also made a significant impact, with Joel Djobet scoring 13 points and A.J. Stanton-McCray contributing 10.
The game saw intense competition throughout, but Miami seized control late in the second half. Djobet drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 61 with 9:13 remaining. Just 31 seconds later, Bethea sank two free throws, giving Miami a lead they would not relinquish. Cleveland’s layup with 1:48 left stretched the Hurricanes lead to 80-71, marking their largest advantage of the night.
Syracuse (11-14, 5-9) was led by J.J. Starling, who scored 25 points. Eddie Lampkin Jr. delivered a dominant performance with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Chris Bell added 14 points off the bench. Despite a valiant effort, Syracuse could not overcome Miami’s hot shooting and Cleveland’s career night.
Cleveland’s impact was felt early, as his two free throws gave Miami its first nine-point lead, 41-32, with 1:50 remaining in the first half. He capped the half with a smooth jumper, extending the lead to 43-34 at intermission.
The Hurricanes win marks their second victory in three games, a welcome turnaround after enduring a 10-game losing streak. Miami will look to maintain this momentum when they travel to face Pitt on Saturday. Meanwhile, Syracuse aims to bounce back as they host North Carolina on Saturday.
