Senior point guard Nijel Pack dished out a game-high nine assists and was charged with just one turnover as host Miami defeated winless Coppin State 93-63 on Sunday afternoon. The Hurricanes (3-0) never trailed and had six players score in double figures. Matthew Cleveland posted 15 points and seven rebounds; Brandon Johnson added 14 points and eight rebounds; Lynn Kidd and Divine Ugochukwu each had 12 points; A.
J. Staton-McCray chipped in 11; and Jalen Blackmon scored 10. Staton-McCray was especially efficient, making 4-of-5 shots, including 3 of 3 on 3-pointers.
Pack scored just six points as he focused on running the offense. He was 2-for-4 on 3-pointers. Coppin State (0-6) was led by Julius Ellerbe, who scored a team-high 14 points.
Toby Nnadozie added 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting on 3-pointers. Khali Horton also had 11 points. The Eagles have lost 19 straight games dating back to last season.
The last victory was against Maryland Eastern Shore, 58-55 in overtime, on Jan. 8, 2024. Cleveland led all first-half scorers with 10 points as Miami went to intermission with a 43-19 lead.
Miami shot 51.6 percent overall in the first half, and the Hurricanes were even better on 3-pointers, making 9 of 15 (60 percent). Miami also dominated the glass, building a 26-13 advantage on rebounds.
Coppin State shot just 26.7 percent, including 0-for-7 on 3-pointers. The Eagles did have a 14-10 edge on points in the paint.
The game was never close in the second half. For the game, Miami sho.
