Shelton Henderson scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half as the 14th-ranked Miami Hurricanes routed visiting Wagner 83-57 on Friday night in Coral Gables, Fla.
Henderson, who passed concussion protocol after a physical loss to top-ranked Florida on Monday, also tied for game highs in assists (five) and steals (three). He made 8 of 12 shots overall and was 8 of 9 from inside the arc.
The Hurricanes (1-1) also got 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting from Malik Reneau. Caleb Gaskins added 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Reserve Dante Allen was outstanding with eight points, six rebounds and a game-high tying five assists. He went 2-for-2 from the floor and 4-for-4 on free throws.
The Seahawks (0-2) — who have no returners and 14 newcomers –were led by Tajae Jones, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Estevez added 10 points. Youssouf Singar had six points, two blocks and two offensive rebounds.
Wagner, which made just 3 of 15 from deep in a season-opening loss to Boston College, made its first two from distance on Friday and led Miami early, 10-8. But Wagner missed 13 of its next 14 shots overall as Miami went on a 14-2 run.
By halftime, the Hurricanes led 34-21 as Reneau topped all scorers with eight points. Gaskins was also impressive in the first half with a behind-the-back dribble that led to a layup and a corner 3-pointer.
For the first half, Miami had a 9-0 edge on fastbreak points and an 18-8 advantage on paint points. Miami didn’t shoot particularly well — 40.0% — but the Hurricanes held Wagner to 23.5% shooting. Wagner stayed in the game due to eight offensive rebounds and seven second-chance points.
In the second half, Miami’s defense took over, including four straight steals that led to fast-break layups or dunks — three buckets by Henderson and one by Somto Cyril.
That gave Miami a 46-23 lead with 14:28 left, and the Hurricanes cruised from there.
For the game, Miami made 53.4% of its shots from the floor and 16 of 18 on free throws. The Hurricanes had a 24-3 advantage on fastbreak points and a 52-22 edge in paint points.
Wagner shot just 33.3%, but the Seahawks hustled their way to an 11-7 edge on offensive rebounds.
–Field Level Media
