CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Shane Larkin and Durand Scott scored 18 points each to lead Miami to a 76-59 victory over La Salle on Wednesday night.
Miami took the lead for good with a 16-2 run midway through the second half. Larkin keyed the surge with consecutive 3-pointers. The second of those, with 8:32 remaining, gave the Hurricanes (9-3) their first double-digit lead at 57-47.
Erik Swoope's basket with 7:02 remaining ended the spurt and increased Miami's lead to 61-47.
Tyrone Garland's layup with 6:46 left ended a scoring drought of 3:40 for the Explorers. Garland scored a game-high 20 points to lead LaSalle (9-3).
Scott and Larkin combined to score 26 points in the second half.
Trey McKinney Jones and Kenny Kadji finished with 14 points each for the Hurricanes, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Miami lost the final two games of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii against Arizona and Indiana State on Dec. 24 and 25.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for La Salle, which was attempting to start a season at 10-2 for the first time since 1989-90.
The Hurricanes rallied from a six-point deficit at halftime and outscored the Explorers 10-2 in the first 3:15 of the second half. Scott's layup with 16:55 remaining ended the early second-half spurt and gave Miami a 40-38 lead.
The Explorers broke open a close first half with a 12-0 run during a late 2:17 stretch. Ramon Galloway hit two 3-pointers and Garland converted three short jumpers during the surge. Garland's basket with 2:03 remaining in the half ended the run and gave the Explorers a 36-25 lead.
Miami cut the lead to 36-30 at halftime on Julian Gamble's layup and Larkin's 3-point play.
La Salle made 6 of 13 3-pointers in the first half but managed only 1 of 8 behind the arc in the second half. Galloway also was held scoreless as he missed all four of his attempts.
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