AMHERST, Mass. – Reggie Johnson scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Miami pulled away in the second half to defeat Massachusetts 75-62 Saturday for its fourth straight victory.
The Hurricanes (5-1) led for most of the second half, but a 3-pointer by Raphiael Putney, followed by a driving layup by Jesse Morgan, put the Minutemen (3-3) ahead 52-51 with 8:29 remaining.
But a 3-pointer by Rion Brown started a 13-3 run that gave the Hurricanes a 64-55 lead, their biggest of the game to that point, with 5:01 remaining.
Johnson's six blocked shots were a key piece of the Hurricanes' defense, which held Massachusetts to 28.6 percent shooting (18-for-63) including 7 for 32 from 3-point range.
Durand Scott added 15 points and Shane Larkin had 14 for the Hurricanes.
Terrell Vinson led UMass with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Chaz Williams added 11 points and 10 assists.
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