No. 14 Miami bounced back from its season-opening loss to top-ranked Florida with an 83-57 victory over Wagner on Friday night. Shelton Henderson led the Hurricanes with 19 points, five assists and three steals as Miami earned its first win of the 2026-27 season and gave head coach Jai Lucas plenty of positives to build on.
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— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) November 7, 2026
Miami defeats Wagner 83-57
The Hurricanes (1-1) took control midway through the first half before pulling away after halftime. Miami shot 53.4% from the field, held Wagner to 33.3% shooting and dominated the Seahawks in transition and around the basket.
Henderson finished 8 of 12 from the field, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the second half. Malik Reneau added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while Caleb Gaskins contributed 11 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Wagner (0-2) briefly threatened to make things interesting early, taking a 10-8 lead less than five minutes into the game.
Miami responded with a 22-4 run, getting 3-pointers from Gaskins, Brent Bland and Nick Dorn. Dante Allen capped the run with a layup that extended the Hurricanes' lead to 30-14 with 4:35 remaining before halftime. The Hurricanes carried a 34-21 advantage into the break after holding Wagner to just 23.5% shooting during the opening 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes opened the period with a 12-2 run, highlighted by consecutive fast-break dunks from Henderson that stretched the lead to 46-23. Miami shot 67.9% from the field after halftime, scoring 49 points over the final 20 minutes.
The Hurricanes finished with a 52-22 advantage in points in the paint and outscored Wagner 24-3 in fast-break opportunities. Miami also recorded 18 assists, 10 steals and 20 points off turnovers.
Tajae Jones led Wagner with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Cam Estevez contributed 10 points.
3 major takeaways from Miami's win over Wagner
1. Shelton Henderson looked like the player Miami needs him to be
Henderson's performance was arguably the most encouraging development for Miami after a disappointing individual showing against Florida.
The sophomore scored just seven points on 2-of-8 shooting against the Gators, but against Wagner, he looked far more comfortable attacking the basket and creating opportunities for his teammates.
2. Miami's size and athleticism could become its biggest strengths
Lucas has assembled one of the more physically imposing rosters in the ACC. The Hurricanes scored 52 points in the paint, nearly matching Wagner's entire offensive output of 57 points.
The Hurricanes forced 15 turnovers, recorded 10 steals and generated 24 fast-break points while allowing Wagner just three.
3. Outside shooting and defensive rebounding still need improvement
The Hurricanes finished just 5 of 19 from 3-point range, shooting 26.3%. Bland accounted for three of those makes, going 3 of 7 from deep, while the rest of Miami's roster combined to shoot 2 of 12.
The Seahawks collected 11 offensive rebounds compared with seven for the Hurricanes, despite Miami entering the matchup with a significant size advantage. Wagner finished with 11 second-chance points, while Miami managed just four.
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