Five Miami basketball players finished in double figures in an 89-55 exhibition win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Sunday at the Watsco Center. Miami will begin the season on November 7 at 7:30 pm versus Lafayette. The sole Miami returning Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong led the Hurricanes with 19 points each.
The Miami basketball team was efficient offensively making 54.4 percent of its shots from the floor, made seven of 20 three-point attempts and eight of nine from the free-throw line. Wong made 6-10 from the floor, 3-3 on three-point attempts and 4-5 from the line with two rebounds and three assists.
Miller shot 8-10 from the floor, split his two three-point attempts and made both of his free throws with seven rebounds and two assists. Wong was named first-team preseason All-ACC and the runner-up for preseason ACC Player of the Year. Wooga Poplar scored 15, Nijel Pack 11 and Norchad Omier 10 for Miami.
Omier and Pack made their Miami debuts after transferring from Arkansas State and Kansas State. Omier was efficient making five of his seven field goal attempts and grabbing seven rebounds. Four fouls limited Omier to 21 minutes. Pack shot 5-14 from the floor and 1-7 from three with six rebounds and six assists.
Canes defeat IUP 89-55 in a preseason exhibition game.
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) October 30, 2022
See you at the Watsco Center for our home opener on Nov. 7 at 7:30 pm against Lafayette. pic.twitter.com/rv8mrxIpaS
Miami scored the first 13 points of the game. IUP played Miami even the rest of the first half trailing 42-29 at halftime. The Hurricanes pulled away in the second half for an easy victory. Harlond Beverly returned and played six minutes after missing all but four games during the 2021-22 season.
Three of the four 2022 Miami basketball signees played on Sunday afternoon, plus redshirt freshman Jakai Robinson also earned four minutes. Miami hosts UNC Greensboro and Florida A&M at the Watsco Center after Lafayette before playing Providence in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament in Connecticut.
Miami primarily played a seven-man rotation and guard Bensley Joseph and forward Anthony Walker and the five starters as the only Miami players to play double-digit minutes. Pack and Wong led Miami with 31 minutes played. Expect the five starters plus Joseph and Walker to be the rotation.