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CORAL GABLES, Fla.– When Miami began making shots, it kept making shots.Nijel Pack scored
20 of his 25 points in the 2nd half in his go back to the lineup after a two-week injury lack, Matthew Cleveland and Norchad Omier each added 23, and Miami beat No. 16 Clemson 95-82 on Wednesday night to enhance to 9-0 in the house this season.The secret: Miami made 18 of its last 22 shots, fueling a 60-point
2nd half versus a Clemson group that came into the night quiting 69.2 per game.”Perhaps as bad a protective half as I’ve had as a coach,”Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.On the other hand, Miami coach Jim Larrañaga questioned whether it was a first in his profession– 3 players scoring a minimum of
23 points in the exact same game. It had not occurred in his Miami tenure; there was a night in 1997 when his kid Jay scored 40 and Antonio Daniels added 30 for Larrañaga’s Bowling Green group in a win over Akron.”I think it’s the very first time in 50 years with me,”Larrañaga said.Kyshawn George and Bensley Joseph each included 12 for the Hurricanes (11-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference
), who are 7-3 versus ranked challengers since the start of last season.
Pack scored 13 of Miami’s points in a 21-6 run that provided the Hurricanes a nine-point lead with 10 minutes left, and Clemson never captured them.Joseph Girard III scored 18 points and PJ Hall scored 17 before fouling out for Clemson( 11-2, 1-1 ). Chase Hunter scored 16 for the Tigers– who led by 6 at the half, by 8 early in the 2nd
half and were seeking their very first 12-1 start since the 2017-18 season.Instead, the defense simply broke down. Miami wound up shooting 75%– 21 for 28– in the last 20 minutes. “Just lost our circulation, actually on both ends, in the 2nd half,”Brownell said.And it was with a new lineup for the Hurricanes. Wooga Poplar, Miami’s second-leading scorer, missed out on the game with a sprained ankle. George began in his place and got all 12 of his points on 3-pointers.
Chauncey Wiggins scored 12 and Ian Schieffelin had 11 for Clemson.