Junior guard Chris Lykes scored a game-high 15 points and Miami managed to hold on for a 74-60 victory over visiting Florida Atlantic on Friday night in Coral Gables, Fla.
After seeing a 16-point early second-half lead cut to three points midway through the period, the Hurricanes (1-1) went on a 16-2 run that included a 12-0 spurt for a 67-50 cushion with 5:08 left in the game.
Center Karlis Silins led the Owls with 12 points. Guard Cornelius Taylor added 10.
The Hurricanes outscored the Owls 11-4 in less than four minutes to start the second half and were comfortably up 46-30 before the Owls got going. Forward Jailyn Ingram's 3-pointer got things started and Taylor's 3 got the Owls' deficit down to single digits at 50-41 with 12:35 left in the game.
A couple of minutes later, forward Madiaw Niang's follow-up shot made it a three-point game at 51-48 but the Owls could get no closer.
Freshman guard Harold Beverly scored 14 points for Miami and junior center Rodney Miller doubled his previous career high with 12 points. Junior forward Sam Waardenburg had a career-high 11 rebounds to go with nine points.
The two teams went back and forth early until Miami took the lead for good on Lykes' layup that put the Hurricanes up 21-20 with 7:19 left in the first half. The Hurricanes then closed out the period by outscoring the Owls 14-6.
Neither team burned up the nets, though the Hurricanes went 3-for-3 down the stretch to finish the first half 14 of 33 (42.4 percent) to just 31.4 for the Owls, who missed 11 of their last 12 shots over the last 4:15.
Only one player, FAU's Silins with 10 points, was in double figures for either team in the first half.
--Field Level Media
Florida Atlantic | Miami-Florida | |
Karlis Silins 12 | Scoring | Chris Lykes 15 |
Richardson Maitre 3 | Assists | Harlond Beverly 4 |
Madiaw Niang 12 | Rebounds | Sam Waardenburg 11 |
Madiaw Niang 3 | Free Throws Made | Chris Lykes 2 |
Michael Forrest 1 | Steals | Chris Lykes 2 |
Madiaw Niang 3 | Blocks | Kameron McGusty 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Florida Atlantic | 60 | 34.8 | 6-22 | 8-12 | 11 | 41 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
Miami-Florida | 74 | 45.5 | 5-18 | 9-14 | 13 | 31 | 3 | 8 | 6 |