Miami Beating Duke in Basketball Now Just a Regular Thing

Ten years ago, if you would have told anyone that the Miami Hurricanes basketball team trouncing the Duke Blue Devils would become a regular occurrence, they probably would have scoffed. The Blue Devils are the most successful college basketball team since 1985. They're the elite of an already stacked ACC...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

January 26, 2016

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Ten years ago, if you would have told anyone that the Miami Hurricanes basketball team trouncing the Duke Blue Devils would become a regular occurrence, they probably would have scoffed. The Blue Devils are the most successful college basketball team since 1985. They're the elite of an already-stacked ACC. Hell, right now they're the defending NCAA champs.

Miami Hurricanes basketball has always been an ACC also-ran overshadowed by UM's football team.

Yet, for the fourth time in five years since Jim Larranaga took over as head coach at Miami, the Canes beat Duke last night. The schools' head-to-head record over that time is 4-2 in favor of the Canes.

Last night's game was an unapologetic 80-69 trouncing. "They’re better than we are,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told the media later.

Duke, however, is having one of its worst seasons in decades. Though they went into the game ranked 24th, they've now lost four of their last five games.

Miami, meanwhile, is 16-3 and sits at 15th in the polls.

Canes senior guard Angel Rodriguez was the standout of the game. He sank a trio of three-pointers and racked up a career-high 11 assists. Fellow senior guard Sheldon McClellan also put up 21 points.

It's the team's 15th double-digit win of the season and its third over a ranked team.

In UM's four wins against Duke during the Larranaga era, this game might have marked the first time the Canes came in as the consensus favorites, but that didn't make the win any less sweet.

The team celebrated in the locker room with a rendition of the latest dance meme, "Ran Off da Plug Twice."

"Ran off the plug twice" - @CanesHoops edition https://t.co/zDFO7mZjcp
— Miami Hurricanes (@MiamiHurricanes) January 26, 2016

It used to be a big deal for Miami to beat Duke. Tonight it's like, next?
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) January 26, 2016

Miami gave Duke an #OverRated chant and Duke fans are confused why.
— Tar Heel Nation (@unc_tarheelfan) January 26, 2016

Wow! This no-look pass from @CanesHoops' Angel Rodriguez to Kamari Murphy was definitely #MustSeeACC! https://t.co/KgxLXFrjr2
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 26, 2016

Unlike previous wins, Miami fans didn't rush the court. That's usually reserved for special wins, not after beating the same team for the fourth time in five years.

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