Senior forward Dwayne Collins must’ve seen enough.
With North Carolina A&T on a run to start the second half, Collins dunked over a defender for the bucket and the foul to stop the Aggies’ momentum in a 80-59 victory Monday night at the BankUnited Center.
The Hurricanes (12-1, 0-1) were led by sophomore guard Malcolm Grant’s 14 points. Collins and freshman guard Durand Scott each contributed 13 points.
Dwane Joshua scored a team-high 14 points for the Aggies (4-7). North Carolina A&T, which trailed by 20 at the half, started to find its groove behind the arc and closed the gap to 10 with 12:56 left in the game.
That is until Collins substituted for freshman Reggie Johnson and made baskets in back-to-back possessions.
Miami next plays on Dec. 30 and hosts Bethune-Cookman (7-5) for a 7:30 tipoff.
GAME NOTES
- Antoine Allen made a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half and give the Canes a 44-22 lead.
- During the second half, Grant did not wear his trademark headband. He was donning a white one for the first 20 minutes.
- Sebastian the Ibis danced (and dressed up) the Nutcracker’s “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” with a group of young ballerinas during halftime.