CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami men’s basketball opened the Jai Lucas era with an 86-69 victory over Jacksonville on Monday inside the Watsco Center.
Five Hurricanes finished in double figures as Malik Reneau led all scorers with 20 points while Ernest Udeh Jr. added a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Shelton Henderson added 15 points in his first-career game as Tru Washington and Tre Donaldson added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Hurricanes (1-0) took a 41-35 lead into the half after shooting 54.2% from the floor and 14-of-19 from the charity stripe. The Dolphins (0-1) gained an early 12-8 after hitting four-consecutive 3-pointers, but the Hurricanes responded with a 10-0 run of their own to take a 18-12 lead, holding Jacksonville scoreless for nearly four minutes.
In the second half, Miami held a 14-point advantage, 53-39, after opening the half on a 12-4 run. The Hurricanes kept the pressure on in the middle of the stanza, going on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 75-55.
Miami finished the game shooting 55.1-percent (27-of-49) from the floor while holding Jacksonville to just 28.6-percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Miami returns to action inside the Watsco Center against Bethune-Cookman on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Tickets are available for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season and can be purchased online at www.miamihurricanes.com/tickets.
– MiamiHurricanes.com –
