Before Miami plays host to UNC Greensboro on Friday night, there is something that kind of needs to happen.
Somebody please check on Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga.
That’s because Miami trailed visiting Lafayette at halftime on Monday before surging to a stress-inducing 67-54 opening-night victory.
“My heart rate must have jumped 50 beats from the way that game was played,” Larranaga said. “We were fortunate to come away with a victory.”
Norchad Omier, a transfer from Arkansas State, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and added 11 points in his Hurricanes debut.
Nijel Pack, a Kansas State transfer who also made his Hurricanes debut, led Miami with four 3-pointers. He finished with 16 points, tying Isaiah Wong for team-high honors.
Miami (1-0) also got nine points from Jordan Miller, falling a bit short of what Larranaga envisions for his squad.
“For us to be successful, we have to have five guys average double figures,” Larranaga said. “That makes us harder to defend, having different weapons.”
Meanwhile, the Spartans (1-0) opened their season with a 93-60 win over visiting Johnson & Wales Charlotte on Monday.
The Spartans had a 56-39 rebound advantage while holding their opponents to 31.8 percent shooting from the floor.
Keondre Kennedy, who led Maryland-Baltimore County in scoring last season, topped the Spartans in points (16) and rebounds (11). He was efficient, making 5-of-10 shots from the floor and 3-of-6 on 3-pointers.
Bas Leyte, a 6-foot-10 forward from the Netherlands, was the only other Spartans starter in double figures as he scored 10 points. He also had eight rebounds.
UNC Greensboro committed only eight turnovers and got 43 points from its bench.
“I was pleased for the most part with how hard our guys played,” Spartans coach Mike Jones said. “Defensively, we were good in spurts but not nearly where we need to be in terms of consistency.”
–Field Level Media
