Hurricanes Roll to 101-61 Victory over Bethune-Cookman
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Miami men’s basketball rolled to a 101-61 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Thursday night inside the Watsco Center.
Behind a 17-point first half performance from Tre Donaldson, the Hurricanes held a 50-31 lead at the break.
Miami (2-0) opened the game on a 7-0 run, making their first four shots forcing Bethune-Cookman (0-2) to call a timeout. The Wildcats cut lead to three before Hurricanes went ahead 24-15 behind Dante Allen’s first career bucket followed by his first career three. Following a pair of free throws from Bethune-Cookman to trim the lead to 42-31, Miami closed out the half on an 8-0 run.
In the first half, the Hurricanes shot 19-of-26 (73.1%) from the floor, marking the first time had 70 percent-or-better from the floor since shooting 71.4-percent against Presbyterian on Dec. 15, 2024.
Miami kept its foot on the gas to start the second half, opening the final stanza on a 15-4 run to take a 65-35 lead. After the Wildcats cut the lead to 22 at 69-47, the Hurricanes went on a 11-0 run to take a 33-point lead.
Miami dominated the paint, outscoring the Wildcats 58-26 while finishing the game 39-of-66 (59.1%) from the floor. Offensively, Miami registered 25 assists to just six turnovers.
Miami closes out its three-game homestand at the Watsco Center on Monday at 7 p.m. The game can be seen nationally on the ACC Network.
Tickets are available for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season and can be purchased online at www.miamihurricanes.com/tickets.
Postgame Quotes
Opening statement …
“I was most excited about the start. I thought the start of the game was a big key, especially for them, coming off an emotional road game with a top-20 team that went into overtime. I knew they were going to come in with a lot of confidence, and I was worried about giving them anything early. So, a big thing for us was how many three-stop sequences can we get. We started the game that way and got off to a good start. I challenged Shelton (Henderson) and Malik (Reneau). Shelton wasn’t quite there but Malik did a better job of rebounding and getting involved. And I think the biggest thing for us was the 25 assists to only 6 turnovers. That shows where we can be and where we’re headed. We’re nowhere near where I think we can ultimately go. I thought our defense was better, still not where it should be, but I’m excited. I thought the student section was great. It’s a Thursday afternoon game, and they were here. They were loud. I could hear them. I could feel them. I was excited about that.”
On scoring 100 points…
“It always feels good to score 100 points. But the biggest thing is that we played the right way or at least we tried to. We got multiple paint touches, made the right reads and the right passes. That was the difference between the first game and this one. In the first game, you’ve got emotions, guys try to over-exert or do too much. Today, we played with better poise and tried to find the right shots, and when you do that, you end up with 101 points.”
On Dante Allen’s bounce back performance…
“Dante had one of the best summers and preseasons of anyone on the team. After the last game, I could see the disappointment all over his face in the locker room. We told him to put it behind him. When he hit his first shot tonight, he said everything melted away, the fear, the jitters. He just needed to get comfortable again.”
Tre Donaldson, Guard, Senior
On being aggressive early on…
“I’m a pass-first point guard, so being aggressive helps our team. The layups and early buckets were just good looks I had, but nothing was forced. It was all about taking the right shots and getting my teammates involved. Being aggressive the right way — that was the focus.”
On his defensive pressure…
“As a leader, it’s important. If my teammates see me pressing and being pesky on the ball, it gives them confidence to do the same. When we’re able to deflect passes, push teams off the line, and make them uncomfortable, it makes our whole defense better, especially with Earnest (Udeh Jr.) and Malik on the back end.”
Dante Allen, Guard, Freshman
On feeling more comfortable in game two…
“Definitely thanks to my teammates, coaches, and family. They helped me move on from the first game, just reminding me that I’m out there for a reason, that I’ve worked to be here. It was just first-game jitters. Today was about getting comfortable, working through it, and having a better game.”
On the assist-to-turnover success…
“It comes down to trust. We’ve got talent everywhere, no matter who’s on the floor. Trusting each other to make the right play, and for turnovers, the coaches have really emphasized that, being smart, not doing anything out of character. It paid off tonight.”
