Wooga Poplar scores 23 points to lead No. 13 Miami to 88-72 win over UCF
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Wooga Poplar scored 23 points to lead No. 13 Miami to an 88-72 win over UCF on Friday night.
Poplar, a junior guard, shot 6 for 8 from the field and was perfect on five 3-point attempts. He has scored 20 or more points in his first two games after only reaching the total once last season.
“He’s an incredible 3-point shooter, an incredible pull-up jump shooter. He’s great going to the basket,” Miami coach Jim Larrañaga said. “As long as he stays in control of his own abilities, he’s going to have a sensational year.”
Norchad Omier had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Bensley Joseph scored 15 points, Matthew Cleveland added 12 and Nijel Pack 11 for the Hurricanes (2-0), who never trailed.
Miami finished with 14 steals and scored 23 points off UCF turnovers.
“We wanted to create a lot of havoc on the defensive end,” Joseph said. “Coming in, our defense was going to change the game for us and we wanted to focus on that.”
The Knights (1-1) used pressure defense and rallied from an 18-point deficit early in the second half and got to within six points at 68-62 on Demarr Langford Jr.’s jumper with 6: 11 remaining. But Miami countered with seven unanswered points, capped by Poplar’s 3-pointer with 3:51 remaining.
“That’s what we like to do, get after it, pressure,” UCF coach Johnny Dawkins said of the second half comeback. “I thought first half we didn’t find that gear. In the second half we did and that gave us the chance to make some runs. But you give them credit. They were able to withstand the runs that we made.”
Jaylin Sellers finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Darius Johnson and Nils Machowski added 13 each for UCF.
Poplar had 11 points, including three 3s, as Miami built a 30-16 lead with 7:40 remaining in the first half. Poplar sat out the final 6:35 of the half after committing his second foul.
Before the game, there was a brief ceremony commemorating the Hurricanes’ run to the Final Four last season. The ceremony’s highlight was the raising of the Final Four banner.
“It was a magical season and it took a total team effort,” Larrañaga said.
DEFENSE NEVER RESTS
In addition to shooting 5 of 8 from the field, Joseph had five steals and four blocks.
“Just locked in on the defensive end and I know that’s one of my biggest strengths,” Joseph said. “Credit to UCF - they're a good team - but I felt we scouted them really well and kind of knew what they were going to do on the offensive end.”
BIG PICTURE
UCF: The Knights’ nonconference schedule in their first season as a Big 12 member features six games against Florida schools. After facing Florida International and Miami to start the season, UCF has remaining dates with Stetson, Jacksonville, Florida A&M and Bethune Cookman. Missing is former American Athletic Conference and nearby rival South Florida.
Miami: Philadelphia high school senior guard Jalil Bethea heads the list of highly rated recruits who signed letters of intent Wednesday to attend Miami. Multiple recruiting services consider Miami’s signing of Bethea, Minneapolis, forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu and guard Austin Swarz, of Concord, North Carolina, a top-10 national class.
UP NEXT
Central Florida: Hosts Cal State Fullerton on Thursday.
Miami: Completes its season-opening three-game homestand against Florida International on Monday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Omar Payne vs. Norchad Omier (Nijel Pack gains possession) | |||
19:47 | +3 | Wooga Poplar makes three point jump shot (Bensley Joseph assists) | 0-3 | |
19:26 | DeMarr Langford Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
19:24 | Shemarri Allen offensive rebound | |||
19:18 | DeMarr Langford Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
19:16 | Omar Payne offensive rebound | |||
19:09 | +2 | Omar Payne makes two point layup | 2-3 | |
18:59 | +2 | Norchad Omier makes two point jump shot | 2-5 | |
18:44 | Shemarri Allen misses two point jump shot | |||
18:42 | Norchad Omier defensive rebound | |||
18:32 | Norchad Omier offensive foul | |||
18:32 | Norchad Omier turnover (offensive foul) | |||
18:14 | Jaylin Sellers misses two point jump shot | |||
18:12 | Wooga Poplar defensive rebound | |||
18:04 | Shemarri Allen personal foul (Wooga Poplar draws the foul) | |||
17:55 | +3 | Bensley Joseph makes three point jump shot (Matthew Cleveland assists) | 2-8 | |
17:30 | +2 | Jaylin Sellers makes two point layup | 4-8 | |
17:22 | Nijel Pack misses two point jump shot | |||
17:20 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
17:09 | Shemarri Allen turnover (bad pass) (Matthew Cleveland steals) | |||
17:05 | Matthew Cleveland misses two point layup | |||
17:03 | Knights defensive rebound | |||
16:51 | Jaylin Sellers misses two point jump shot | |||
16:49 | Bensley Joseph defensive rebound | |||
16:38 | Nijel Pack misses three point jump shot | |||
16:36 | Jaylin Sellers defensive rebound | |||
16:27 | Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
16:25 | Jaylin Sellers offensive rebound | |||
16:12 | +2 | DeMarr Langford Jr. makes two point layup | 6-8 | |
15:51 | Bensley Joseph misses two point jump shot | |||
15:49 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
15:39 | Shemarri Allen offensive foul (Nijel Pack draws the foul) | |||
15:39 | Shemarri Allen turnover (offensive foul) | |||
15:39 | TV timeout | |||
15:14 | Tyler Hendricks personal foul (Nijel Pack draws the foul) | |||
15:05 | +2 | Matthew Cleveland makes two point jump shot (Bensley Joseph assists) | 6-10 | |
14:54 | +2 | Darius Johnson makes two point layup | 8-10 | |
14:41 | +3 | Wooga Poplar makes three point jump shot | 8-13 | |
14:09 | +2 | Ibrahima Diallo makes two point layup | 10-13 | |
13:56 | Kyshawn George misses two point jump shot | |||
13:54 | Hurricanes offensive rebound | |||
13:37 | +3 | Matthew Cleveland makes three point jump shot (Kyshawn George assists) | 10-16 | |
13:08 | Tyler Hendricks misses two point jump shot | |||
13:06 | Jaylin Sellers offensive rebound | |||
13:01 | Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
12:59 | Knights offensive rebound | |||
12:54 | Thierno Sylla turnover (lost ball) (Nijel Pack steals) | |||
12:53 | Tyler Hendricks personal foul | |||
12:37 | AJ Casey misses three point jump shot | |||
12:35 | Knights defensive rebound | |||
12:20 | Mintautas Mockus turnover (lost ball) (Norchad Omier steals) | |||
12:15 | +2 | Norchad Omier makes two point dunk (Kyshawn George assists) | 10-18 | |
12:15 | Knights 30 second timeout | |||
12:15 | TV timeout | |||
11:58 | +2 | Ibrahima Diallo makes two point jump shot | 12-18 | |
11:45 | Norchad Omier turnover (bad pass) | |||
11:24 | Thierno Sylla misses three point jump shot | |||
11:22 | Kyshawn George defensive rebound | |||
11:18 | Kyshawn George turnover (traveling) | |||
11:01 | Comeh Emuobor misses two point jump shot | |||
10:59 | Nijel Pack defensive rebound | |||
10:55 | +2 | Nijel Pack makes two point layup | 12-20 | |
10:55 | Mintautas Mockus shooting foul (Nijel Pack draws the foul) | |||
10:55 | +1 | Nijel Pack makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 12-21 | |
10:43 | +2 | Jaylin Sellers makes two point jump shot | 14-21 | |
10:24 | Norchad Omier misses three point jump shot | |||
10:22 | Ibrahima Diallo defensive rebound | |||
10:21 | Christian Watson personal foul (Ibrahima Diallo draws the foul) | |||
10:04 | Bensley Joseph blocks Darius Johnson's two point jump shot | |||
10:02 | Norchad Omier defensive rebound | |||
9:56 | +3 | Wooga Poplar makes three point jump shot (Bensley Joseph assists) | 14-24 | |
9:42 | Jaylin Sellers misses three point jump shot | |||
9:40 | Matthew Cleveland defensive rebound | |||
9:30 | Omar Payne shooting foul (Wooga Poplar draws the foul) | |||
9:30 | +1 | Wooga Poplar makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 14-25 | |
9:30 | +1 | Wooga Poplar makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 14-26 | |
9:23 | Darius Johnson misses two point layup | |||
9:21 | AJ Casey defensive rebound | |||
9:11 | Nijel Pack turnover (lost ball) (Darius Johnson steals) | |||
9:02 | Thierno Sylla turnover (bad pass) | |||
8:52 | +2 | Nijel Pack makes two point jump shot | 14-28 | |
8:37 | +2 | Omar Payne makes two point jump shot | 16-28 | |
8:14 | Matthew Cleveland misses three point jump shot | |||
8:12 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
7:55 | Jaylin Sellers misses three point jump shot | |||
7:53 | Jaylin Sellers offensive rebound | |||
7:51 | Jaylin Sellers turnover (lost ball) (Wooga Poplar steals) | |||
7:41 | +2 | Nijel Pack makes two point jump shot | 16-30 | |
7:20 | Darius Johnson misses three point jump shot | |||
7:18 | Jaylin Sellers offensive rebound | |||
7:16 | +2 | Jaylin Sellers makes two point layup | 18-30 | |
6:58 | Wooga Poplar turnover (bad pass) | |||
6:58 | TV timeout | |||
6:50 | Wooga Poplar personal foul | |||
6:35 | Wooga Poplar personal foul | |||
6:25 | Shemarri Allen misses two point jump shot | |||
6:23 | Norchad Omier defensive rebound | |||
6:11 | Kyshawn George misses three point jump shot | |||
6:09 | Hurricanes offensive rebound | |||
6:04 | Omar Payne blocks Nijel Pack's two point layup | |||
6:02 | Jaylin Sellers defensive rebound | |||
5:55 | Norchad Omier blocks DeMarr Langford Jr.'s two point layup | |||
5:53 | Knights offensive rebound | |||
5:41 | Jaylin Sellers turnover (traveling) | |||
5:33 | Norchad Omier misses three point jump shot | |||
5:31 | Shemarri Allen defensive rebound | |||
5:22 | +3 | Nils Machowski makes three point jump shot (Shemarri Allen assists) | 21-30 | |
5:06 | Kyshawn George misses three point jump shot | |||
5:04 | Nils Machowski defensive rebound | |||
4:55 | Jaylin Sellers misses three point jump shot | |||
4:53 | Norchad Omier defensive rebound | |||
4:39 | Nijel Pack misses two point jump shot | |||
4:37 | Omar Payne defensive rebound | |||
4:27 | Kyshawn George blocks Shemarri Allen's two point layup | |||
4:25 | Nijel Pack defensive rebound | |||
4:19 | Omar Payne shooting foul (Kyshawn George draws the foul) | |||
4:19 | +1 | Kyshawn George makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 21-31 | |
4:19 | +1 | Kyshawn George makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 21-32 | |
4:02 | Kyshawn George personal foul (Jaylin Sellers draws the foul) | |||
3:52 | +3 | Nils Machowski makes three point jump shot (Jaylin Sellers assists) | 24-32 | |
3:34 | Ibrahima Diallo blocks Matthew Cleveland's two point layup | |||
3:32 | Jaylin Sellers defensive rebound | |||
3:26 | Nils Machowski turnover (bad pass) (Matthew Cleveland steals) | |||
3:23 | Tyler Hendricks shooting foul | |||
3:23 | TV timeout | |||
3:23 | +1 | Matthew Cleveland makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 24-33 | |
3:23 | Matthew Cleveland misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
3:23 | DeMarr Langford Jr. defensive rebound | |||
3:03 | Ibrahima Diallo misses two point jump shot | |||
3:01 | Hurricanes defensive rebound | |||
2:51 | Christian Watson turnover (lost ball) | |||
2:50 | Matthew Cleveland blocks DeMarr Langford Jr.'s two point jump shot | |||
2:49 | Bensley Joseph defensive rebound | |||
2:47 | +3 | Bensley Joseph makes three point jump shot (Nijel Pack assists) | 24-36 | |
2:41 | Bensley Joseph blocks DeMarr Langford Jr.'s two point jump shot | |||
1:40 | Knights offensive rebound | |||
1:33 | Bensley Joseph shooting foul (Jaylin Sellers draws the foul) | |||
1:33 | +1 | Jaylin Sellers makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 25-36 | |
1:33 | Jaylin Sellers misses regular free throw 2 of 2 | |||
1:33 | Matthew Cleveland defensive rebound | |||
1:17 | Bensley Joseph misses three point jump shot | |||
1:15 | Knights defensive rebound | |||
1:00 | Matthew Cleveland blocks Jaylin Sellers's three point jump shot | |||
0:58 | AJ Casey defensive rebound | |||
0:49 | +3 | Christian Watson makes three point jump shot (Nijel Pack assists) | 25-39 | |
0:38 | Shemarri Allen turnover (bad pass) (Bensley Joseph steals) | |||
0:33 | +2 | Bensley Joseph makes two point layup | 25-41 | |
0:30 | Knights 30 second timeout | |||
0:04 | +2 | Darius Johnson makes two point layup | 27-41 | |
0:00 | End of period |