Las Vegas, NV (Sports Network) – Malcolm Grant notched 25 points while Durand Scott scored 10 points in Miami-Florida’s 73-67 win over Rice in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic.
Garrius Adams and Adrian Thomas each scored nine points for the Hurricanes (9-3), who have won seven of the last eight.
Arsalan Kazemi had game-best 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for Rice (6-5), which had won three straight. Lucas Kuipers and Tamir Jackson had 12 and 11 points, respectively, and Jackson added six assists in the loss.
Miami grabbed a 23-20 lead with just under 8 1/2 minutes left in the first half when Adams hit from long distance, and grew the lead to seven after Scott also nailed a three pointer. Rice made it a two-point game, 30-28, with 3:46 left in the half but the ’Canes too a 34-28 edge to the break following a Thomas trey.
The lead was up to 11 less than three minutes into the second half after Grant’s deuce, but Rice stayed close and got within five with 1:22 left to play after a Kazemi tip in, but a four-point spurt led by an Adams lay-in and two free throws by Reggie Johnson made it a nine-point game.
Miami-Florida held on by making 4-of-5 free throws to close out the win.