Miami Basketball Dismantles Delaware State in Tune-up Game, Prepares for No. 9 BYU
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes were gifted an early Thanksgiving dinner and ate all day against Delaware State, defeating the Hornets 97-41.
If the term "tune-up game" was used properly, this is what it was for the Hurricanes. They shot the ball well, defended well, and the Canes' star players put on a show. Everything went perfectly for UM. However, in typical Jai Lucas fashion, he still wants the team to fix the little things so they can make that next jump.
" I feel like we need to increase our defensive intensity a little bit," Lucas said after the game. "Focus on the days of practice. We made a good step today. We still have to make another jump before Thursday. "
This was also without two of their starters. Tru Washington missed his first game and the season, while Ernest Udeh Jr. missed his second game in a row.
"it just nothing major," Lucas said. "It's just those little nics and you know, like, hamstring, ankle, just little bumps and bruises. Nothing that they should be out, shouldn't be up for a while. You know, knock on wood, but it's not anything that knee surgery anything that is supposed to be long."
Even without them, the offense still hummed. Tre Donaldson and Malik Reneau battled between the two, trading back and forth against the Hornets, scoring at will. Both finished perfectly from the field, each scoring 21 and 24 points respectively. What was better was the shot selections from. Donaldson led the charge, shooting 4-4 from beyond the arc as there was a concentrated effort to get up more three-point attempts. The Hurricanes knocked down 10 three-pointers, shooting 57 percent from beyond the arc.
"Coach has been saying that we have a good shooting team," Donaldson said after the game. "For me personally, going 4-4, it's something they want me to do. Shooting confidently and stuff like that. For the team to continue to get the right shots, that's our biggest thing. Get the right shots in the right three, we have shooters that can knock them down."
Tre Donaldson for 👌‼️
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) November 23, 2025
📺 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/W3TlbfOCHH
Defensively, the Canes were as stout as ever. They prodded and swatted the Hornets with 12 combined blocks and steals. Lucas loved his defensive efforts today, but knows that they have an even greater test on Thanksgiving Day.
"I want back to where I felt we were at the beginning of the year, and part of that is getting them to understand that with some of these games and the scores getting out of hand is that we have to stay true to who we are no matter what," Lucas said. "No matter the opponent, no matter the score, what we preach and what we say we're about, it has to show every time we go into the court."
The Hurricanes will face their second-ranked opponent, No. 9 BYU, and look to become the first team in the country to upset a ranked opponent this season.
Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for the Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at Twitter @Justice_News5.
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.