NEW YORK – The University of Miami men’s basketball team fell to the No. 1/1 Tennessee Volunteers (9-0), 75-62, in the first game of the Jimmy V Men’s Classic on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Graduate student Lynn Kidd recorded her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Hurricanes (3-7, 0-1 ACC) in both categories.

Graduate student Nijel Pack and redshirt junior AJ Staton-McCray joined Kidd in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Miami and Tennessee each exchanged 3-point baskets early in the game and combined for 13 3-pointers in the first half alone.

The Volunteers led for most of the first 10 minutes until senior Matthew Cleveland knocked down two consecutive 3-pointers, sparking a 10-3 run for the Hurricanes and giving them a 25-24 lead at 7:57 mark gave us the first lead in the game.

Tennessee responded with a 14-0 run of its own in the final eight minutes of the half to lead 38-25 at halftime.

Kidd went to work in the second half, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes. However, the Vols kept their foot on the gas and extended their lead to 18, 55-37, with 12:14 to play.

Freshman duo Austin Swartz and Divine Ugochukwu were down but not eliminated. It enabled the Hurricanes to go on a 12-2 run that cut Tennessee’s lead to eight (61-53) at the U8 media timeout.

Pack hit consecutive three-pointers down the stretch to keep the Hurricanes within striking distance, but Tennessee scored the final five points of the game to seal the 75-62 win.

Miami returns home for its final two games of 2024 when it hosts Presbyterian on Sun., December 15th, and Mount St Mary’s on Sat., Dec. 21.

Both games at Watsco Center begin at 2 p.m. and will air on ACC Network Extra.

Courtesy of Miami Athletics