Jai Lucas has Hurricanes in perfect position heading into conference play

Miami's men's basketball team closed the non-conference schedule the right way Sunday, rolling past North Florida 105-67 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables to move to 11-2 (and 9-0 at home) heading into ACC play.

Miami defeats North Florida 105-67

North Florida hung around and even had Miami up just 24-22 with a little more than nine minutes left in the first half. That's when Tre Donaldson helped spark a 7-0 run that pushed Miami back into control. The Canes shot 59% in the first half and took a 51-35 lead into the break. 

Donaldson finished with 21 points and nine assists. Shelton Henderson added 20 points, Malik Reneau scored 19, and Ernest Udeh Jr. owned the glass with 14 rebounds. Miami had six players in double figures overall, and Donaldson also put up five rebounds and three steals. 

The Hurricanes ended the first half on a 17-6 run over the final five minutes, capped by a buzzer-beating 3 from Timotej Malovec, then opened the second half with a 13-5 run. Miami outscored North Florida 54-32 after halftime. 

Miami shot 56.7% from the field, won the rebounding battle 44-24, and crushed North Florida in the paint 54-18. The Canes also forced 20 turnovers and turned those into 36 points.

Give North Florida credit for at least making it interesting early, mostly because Kamrin Oriol was on fire. He had 20 points by halftime and didn't miss a three-pointer in the first half (5-for-5). Oriol finished with 29 points and hit 7 of 10 from deep, while Devin Hines added 11 for the Ospreys. 

Sunday’s game also came with a heavier note around the program: it was Miami's first game since the school announced Marcus Allen will miss the rest of the season after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Next up, Miami opens ACC play at home against Pittsburgh on Dec. 30.