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