Newcomers Pack, Omier Help Miami Beat Lafayette 67-54
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Isaiah Wong and Nijel Pack each scored 16 points, Norchad Omier had 11 points and 15 rebounds and Miami beat Lafayette 67-54 on Monday night in a season opener.
Pack and Omier are transfers who will be asked to fill part of the void created by the departures of Charlie Moore, Kameron McGusty and Sam Waardenburg. Pack averaged 15.3 points in his two seasons at Kansas State and Omier averaged 15.6 points and 12.2 rebounds in his two seasons at Arkansas State.
Wong, a first-team preseason All-ACC pick, was 5 of 13 from the field, Pack made four 3-pointers and Omier helped Miami dominate the glass 46-34.
Miami trailed 30-28 at halftime but opened the second half on a 10-0 run – with nine combined points from Wong and Omier – and the Hurricanes didn’t trail again. Lafayette tied it at 43, but Wong made three straight free throws to close a 9-0 run. Pack’s 3-pointer with 2:36 remaining gave Miami its first double-digit lead.
CJ Fulton led Lafayette with 17 points and Kyle Jenkins added 12 points.
After a 26-win season and getting within a game of the Final Four last March, big things are expected from Miami – the No. 4 pick in the ACC preseason poll.
