Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
UM runs wild in 2nd half to upset Clemson
CORAL GABLES — Once Miami started making shots, it kept making shots.
Nijel Pack scored 20 of his 25 points in the second half in his return to the lineup after a two-week injury absence, Matthew Cleveland and Norchad Omier each added 23, and Miami beat No. 16 Clemson 95-82 on Wednesday night to improve to 9-0 at home this season.
The secret: Miami made 18 of its final 22 shots, fueling a 60-point second half against a Clemson team that came into the night giving up 69.2 per game.
“Maybe as bad a defensive half as I’ve had as a coach,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said.
On the flip side, Miami coach Jim Larrañaga wondered if it was a first in his career — three players scoring at least 23 points in the same game. It hadn’t happened in his Miami tenure; there was a night in 1997 when his son Jay scored 40 and Antonio Daniels added 30 for Larrañaga’s Bowling Green team in a win over Akron.
“I think it’s the first time in 50 years with me,” Larrañaga said.
Kyshawn George and Bensley Joseph each added 12 for the Hurricanes (11-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who are 7-3 against ranked opponents since the start of last season. Pack scored 13 of Miami’s points in a 21-6 run that gave the Hurricanes a ninepoint lead with 10 minutes left, and Clemson never caught 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 six at the half, by eight early in the second half and were seeking their first 12-1 start since the 2017-18 season.
Instead, the defense simply fell apart. Miami wound up shooting 75% — 21 for 28 — in the final 20 minutes.
“Just lost our flow, really on both ends, in the second half,” Brownell said.
And it was with a new lineup for the Hurricanes. Wooga Poplar, Miami’s second-leading scorer, missed the game with a sprained ankle. George started in his place and got all 12 of his points on 3-pointers.
Chauncey Wiggins scored 12 and Ian Schieffelin had 11 for Clemson.
Miami player Poplar’s streak of 54 consecutive games ended, and the Hurricanes used their third starting lineup of the season — matching their total from all of last season. Poplar had started 48 of 49 games in the last two seasons; the exception was last season’s home finale when Miami paid tribute to its seniors. Poplar was unfazed, making six 3-pointers as Miami won to clinch the No. 1 seed in the ACC.
Miami visits Wake Forest on Saturday.