Hurricanes Top Panthers, 82-55
Dec. 3, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – Robert Hite scored a season-high 22 points and Miami beat Birmingham-Southern 82-55 for its first win in three games Saturday.
The Hurricanes (5-3) took an early lead against the Panthers (3-2) and never looked back.
Miami scored the first eight points of the game, and never trailed by less than five points throughout. The Hurricanes shot a season-high 66.7 percent from the field.
Hite scored 12 of his points in the first half, which saw the Hurricanes take a 40-19 lead on the strength of a 25-10 run over the final 12:36.
The Panthers pulled to within 43-30 on a three-point play by Dwayne Paul at 16:57 of the second half, but the Hurricanes mounted a 17-5 run to take a 60-35 lead with 9:40 remaining.
Guard Guillermo Diaz added 18 points and freshman point guard Denis Clemente scored 12 points and handed out a game- and career-high seven assists for the Hurricanes, who won for the first time since Nov. 22.
Ed Horton scored 14 points for Birmingham-Southern, which shot a season-low 26.9 percent from the field. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the Panthers, who had shot 50 percent or better in each of the previous three games.
Junior point guard Anthony Harris made his season debut for the Hurricanes, scoring four points and handing out four assists in 11 minutes. Harris missed Miami’s first seven games with a fractured right foot.
