No. 17 Miami overpowers North Florida 89-51 behind Malik Reneau and a 64-26 edge in the paint

No. 17 Miami beat North Florida 89-51 on Monday night, Nov. 9, at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, overwhelming the Ospreys inside to win its second straight game since a season-opening loss to top-ranked Florida. Malik Reneau scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 18 minutes, Shelton Henderson added 14, and the Hurricanes outscored North Florida 64-26 in the paint.

Miami (2-1) never trailed. The Hurricanes led for 96 percent of the game, according to ESPN's box score, built a 44-25 halftime lead and pushed the margin as high as 38 points in the second half in front of a crowd of 4,203.

How the game unfolded

North Florida stayed close early and pulled within 14-13 about eight minutes into the game, according to the Miami Herald. Miami answered with a 9-0 run over 1:23, and Somto Cyril's two free throws with 9:07 left in the first half gave the Hurricanes their first double-digit lead at 27-17, according to The Associated Press. Reneau scored 12 of his 16 points before halftime, and Robert Miller III's dunk with 1:16 left before the break made it 44-23.

The second half belonged to Miami from the start. The Hurricanes opened with an 11-2 run over the first 3:09 to lead 55-27, the Herald reported, and Brent Bland's short jumper with 8:43 remaining gave them their first 30-point lead at 70-40. Miami scored 45 points in the second half while holding North Florida to 26.

The win came without much help from the perimeter. Miami made only 5 of 27 3-point attempts (19 percent) and 8 of 14 free throws. It did not matter, because the Hurricanes controlled the glass and the lane. They outrebounded North Florida 62-34, including 23 offensive rebounds, and blocked eight shots. Seven Hurricanes grabbed at least five rebounds, according to the Herald.

What Lucas and Cyril said

Lucas, in his second season at Miami, framed the win as progress for a roster still finding its footing. "We're a younger team, and we're still learning to play with each other," he said, according to the Herald. "I thought we took a step in the right direction today."

He also pointed to the stretch ahead, saying the next two to three weeks are huge for the team to keep building, the Herald reported.

Cyril credited the team's depth. "Everybody can just go out there and get it, which is really great for us," the center said. "We have multiple options to do things that make the game really easy for us."

Box score leaders

Five Miami players reached double figures, according to ESPN's box score.

Point guard Acaden Lewis, the Villanova transfer who scored 24 points in his Miami debut against Florida, took a facilitator's role Monday with eight assists and five rebounds. He was scoreless until the final two minutes and finished with two points and three turnovers, according to the Herald. Nick Dorn and Dante Allen each added eight points off the bench.

For Reneau, it was a second straight double-digit game after a five-point outing against the Gators. He led the Hurricanes in scoring at 18 points per game last season, according to the AP.

Eddie Placer led North Florida with 12 points and BJ Plummer added 10. The Ospreys shot 21 of 67 (31 percent) from the field and committed 17 turnovers, which Miami turned into 21 points.

A defense that forces mistakes

The 17 turnovers extended an early pattern for coach Jai Lucas' team. Miami has forced at least 15 turnovers in each of its first three games, according to the AP. The Hurricanes had 10 steals Monday, with Reneau, Cyril, Lewis and Allen each recording two, and they outscored the Ospreys 17-9 in fast-break points.

Bouncing back from the Florida loss

Miami opened the season ranked No. 14 and lost 77-67 to No. 1 Florida on Nov. 2 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa. Thomas Haugh had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Gators, while Lewis' 24 points led Miami. Reneau and Henderson, Miami's top two returning scorers, combined for 12 points in that game. After the Wagner win, Lucas said Reneau had been dealing with a calf issue heading into the Florida game. "He's been working his way back," Lucas said, according to On3.

Both have responded since. Henderson scored 19 points, 16 of them on 8-of-9 shooting after halftime, in an 83-57 win over Wagner on Friday, Nov. 6, at the Watsco Center. Reneau scored 12 in that game. Miami outscored Wagner 24-3 in fast-break points and 52-22 in the paint, according to the AP.

The Hurricanes slipped to No. 17 in this week's AP Top 25 after the Florida loss. Miami is one of two Florida teams in the poll, with the Gators at No. 1.

What it means for North Florida

The Jacksonville school fell to 1-2 and lost its second straight game against a ranked opponent. The Ospreys lost 114-63 at No. 9 UCLA on Friday, according to the AP. Miami improved to 10-0 all-time against North Florida, according to the AP, and the university noted that the Hurricanes have now won three straight meetings by at least 35 points.

What's next

Miami continues its home stand at the Watsco Center with three more games before heading west for Thanksgiving week, when it plays in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas, according to the Herald.

The Hurricanes then return home to face Alabama on Dec. 2. North Florida hosts The Citadel on Saturday.