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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
MIAMI (AP) -- One by one, the Miami Hurricanes climbed up the ladder to cut themselves a piece of the net.
When everyone had taken a strand, coach Leonard Hamilton got the
rest. He was still wearing it around his neck as he left the
building Sunday.
|  | | Miami's Johnny Hemsley hems in Bootsy Thornton of St. John's. |
Elton Tyler had 20 points and a game-saving blocked shot and
Mario Bland added 19 points as Miami beat St. John's (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 18 AP) 74-70
in overtime to claim a share of the Big East regular-season
championship.
The title, shared with No. 9 Syracuse, is Miami's first since
joining the Big East in 1991 and the school's first of any kind
since 1965, when Rick Barry ran roughshod through the
Intercollegiate Conference.
"This is a very, very special moment for our program,"
Hamilton said. "To have a chance to win a title is something very
few people enjoy."
Trailing 62-60 with 10 seconds remaining in regulation, Bland
hit a jumper from the top of the key to send the game into
overtime.
Bland and Tyler each scored four points in the extra period, but
it was Tyler's block of a drive by Erick Barkley with nine seconds
left and Miami (20-9, 13-3) leading 72-70 that proved to be the
difference.
"It was a foul," Barkley said. "I got hit."
Leroy Hurd had made one of two free throws with 20 seconds left
to give Miami the 72-70 lead. Vernon Jennings' two free throws
after Tyler's block sealed the win.
"This is stuff you see on TV," said Bland, one of three Miami
seniors recognized before their final home game. "You see other
teams cutting down nets."
Added Jennings, still holding his piece of the net: "This
string right here, you can't pay for this."
Barkley, the Red Storm's leading scorer who was returning from
his second NCAA suspension this season, scored 15 points on 5-of-18
shooting. During the game, Miami fans taunted him by shaking car
keys and money every time he touched the ball.
Barkley missed two games earlier this season as the NCAA
investigated his switching of sport-utility vehicles with a family
friend. Then he sat out Tuesday's win over Seton Hall for accepting
tuition aid to attend a prep school.
He was reinstated Friday and caught a flight that night to join
the team in South Florida.
"He did a pretty good job," St. John's coach Mike Jarvis said.
"He'll be better in the Big East tournament."
St. John's (21-7, 12-4), which had its eight-game winning streak
snapped, finished 3-of-17 from 3-point range.
The Red Storm will be the No. 3 seed for this week's Big East
tournament with Syracuse first and Miami second. All three receive
a bye to Thursday's quarterfinals.
Miami, which has won five in a row and 11 of its last 12
conference games, missed on all 13 attempts from beyond the arc.
Johnny Hemsley scored 16 points despite finishing 0-of-8 from
3-point range.
"Miami is a great defensive team," Jarvis said. They've got
guys who can beat you in many different ways."
Lavor Postell led St. John's with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and
Bootsy Thornton and Reggie Jessie had 11 points each.
Postell looked like he might put the Red Storm ahead 63-60 with
34 seconds to play in regulation, but his driving bucket in the
lane was waved off. Referee Will Bush called a block on the play
while referee John Cahill called it a charge.
"I wish I was in the stands so I could have said something to
the ref," Hemsley said. "I thought it was a call that was
definitely questionable."
After a midcourt meeting, the officials decided to call a double
foul on Postell and Hemsley. The score remained 61-60 in favor of
St. John's.
"That was creative," Jarvis said. "I don't know how they came
up with that one."
The Red Storm retained the ball, and Barkley could have forced
Miami into needing a 3. But his missed the first of two free
throws, giving St. John's a 62-60 lead with 15 seconds to play.
Jennings then found Bland wide open at the top of the key to
send the game into overtime. Bland had both feet on the 3-point
line.
"I hope people start respecting us now," Tyler said.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
St Johns Clubhouse
Miami Clubhouse
NCAA reinstates St. John's guard Barkley
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