UM beat Louisiana Monroe 104-79, so why was Hurricanes coach Jai Lucas upset?
His Miami Hurricanes basketball team had just beaten University of Louisiana Monroe 104-79 and improved to 9-2 on the season, but coach Jai Lucas was visibly upset during the game and remained dejected during his post-game interview.
“It’s always good to get a win, but I’m not pleased with how we won,” Lucas said. “We pride ourselves on being a defensive team and we were not that today. We were non-existent on the defensive end.”
Asked to elaborate, Lucas said “We were stuck in mud. Our rotations were slow. We struggled guarding the ball and keeping people in front. They made 15 threes. I think this is the most threes they made all year.”
Lucas gave his players an earful at halftime and after the game.
“He expects more from us and whenever he feels we’re not playing to the standard we could be playing at, he lets us know,” said center Ernest Udeh, who recorded a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds. “He’s brutally honest, and you’ve got to love that in a coach. Even though you’re going 99 percent, he says it’s not good enough.”
Although Lucas felt his team underperformed, their box score looked impressive, for the most part, and the team already has two more wins than it had all of last season.
Six players scored in double figures, led by Malik Reneau with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Tre Donaldson had 18 points and a game-high 11 assists. Tru Washington added 15 points. Timo Malovec scored 12 points and had seven assists off the bench and Noam Dovrat chipped in 10 points, three assists and a pair of steals off the bench.
Miami’s 27 assists fell two short of the program record. And they outscored the Warhawks 62-22 in the paint.
“My biggest thing as a point guard and a leader is knowing the team we have, just trying to continue to keep that pace because that’s when we’re at our best, when we’re playing fast,” Donaldson said. “That’s been my emphasis for myself, getting guys open and in spots they need to be to make plays.”
Freshman Shelton Henderson left the game late in the first half with a foot injury and did not return. He watched the second half from the bench along with injured teammates Dante Allen (hand/wrist) and Marcus Allen (groin, lower back).
“We’re still evaluating and seeing what it is,” Lucas said.
ULM coach Phil Cunningham heaped praise on the Hurricanes and on Lucas, Miami’s 37-year-old first-year coach.
“They just overwhelmed us in the second half with their size, their talent, and then they shot the ball so well,” Cunningham said. “When they’re shooting like that, they’re hard to beat…When they make you suck into the paint, like they do with all those bigs, and they spread it outside to those shooters making shots, they’re hard to guard.”
Cunningham went on to complement Lucas on UM’s roster construction, his veteran staff, and how the team is doing overall.
“Coach Lucas is doing a tremendous job,” Cunningham said. “He’s got a great personality for it, and I’m just very impressed not only with their talent, but their scheme and how together they are. I watched them warm up before the game and could tell how connected they were, how organized they were.
“I spent 13 years in the SEC, so I’ve seen good teams, and they’re impressive. They’re doing it the right way.
Asked if he’s surprised Lucas is doing so well at such a young age, Cunningham smiled and replied: “I’m not surprised at all. I worked five years for Lefty Driesell. Do y’all know who Lefty’s best point guard ever was? A guy by the name of John Lucas [Jai’s father]. So, when you say he’s 37 years old, first-time head coach, he’s been coaching for about 34 years and I’m sure John was showing him how to do it from the time he knew what a ball was.”
ULM (3-8) had four players in double figures. MJ Russell scored 18 points, Krystian Lewis had 15, Renars Sondors added 14 and Przemek Hartman has 12.
The Hurricanes are home again on Tuesday against cross-town rival FIU at 7 p.m. at the Watsco Center. The Panthers are 5-3.
“I expect a war,” Lucas said of the FIU game. “They’re really good. Coach Ballard’s done a good job with his team construction. They play with confidence. They play free. They’re aggressive and big. They’ve got really good guards. So, I expect them to come in here with supreme confidence and house money.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2025 at 3:58 PM.