CORAL GABLES, Fla. (Interstat) — Tre Donaldson orchestrated a dominant offensive performance with 27 points and 10 assists, and the Miami Hurricanes used a blistering first-half start to set the tone in a 91-81 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlantic Coast Conference men’s basketball on Saturday.

A crowd of 5,328 at the Watsco Center saw the Hurricanes (14-2, 3-0 ACC) build a double-digit lead within the game’s first five minutes and never relinquish it, despite a persistent effort from Georgia Tech guard Lamar Washington, who finished with 21 points and 12 assists.

The most critical phase of the game was its opening act. Miami scored on its first three possessions, with Donaldson hitting a pull-up jumper and Malik Reneau drilling a 3-pointer off a feed from Ernest Udeh for a quick 5-0 lead. After a Georgia Tech miss, Shelton Henderson finished a dunk assisted by Donaldson to push the lead to 7-0, forcing a Yellow Jackets timeout just over two minutes into the contest.

Georgia Tech (10-7, 1-3) struggled to find any offensive rhythm against Miami’s active defense, committing three turnovers in the first three minutes. The Hurricanes capitalized, extending the run to 12-0 before Georgia Tech’s Lamar Washington finally got the visitors on the board with a floating jumper at the 16:35 mark. By the first media timeout, Miami led 15-2, having made six of its first eight shots while forcing four Yellow Jackets turnovers.

That early cushion proved insurmountable. Miami’s offensive efficiency was staggering, scoring 91 points on just 73 possessions for an offensive rating of 124.3. The Hurricanes shot 51.7% from the field (30 of 58) and connected on 10 of 25 attempts from 3-point range. They also generated 18 points off 13 Georgia Tech turnovers, thanks to 11 steals.

Donaldson, a 6-foot-3 guard from Tallahassee, Florida, was the catalyst, controlling the tempo and picking apart the Georgia Tech defense. His double-double was his third standout performance in as many ACC games, following a 21-point effort at Wake Forest and 19 points against Pittsburgh.

Georgia Tech, which entered the game as a 13.5-point underdog, showed resilience after the disastrous start. The Yellow Jackets clawed back to within nine points on several occasions in the second half, largely behind the efforts of Washington and Kowacie Reeves, who scored 23 points. A Reeves jump shot with 4:13 remaining cut Miami’s lead to 77-71, prompting a Hurricanes timeout.

Miami responded with the decisive sequence. Out of the timeout, Donaldson found Udeh for an alley-oop dunk. After a Georgia Tech miss, Donaldson then hit a step-back jumper to push the lead back to 10 with 1:23 left, effectively sealing the game.

The Hurricanes’ balance was key. Henderson scored 17 points, Reneau added 18 and Udeh provided a strong interior presence with 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Miami’s ball movement, evidenced by 11 assists to just seven turnovers, consistently created high-percentage shots.

Georgia Tech, which scored 48 points in the second half, finished with an offensive rating of 108.3. The Yellow Jackets shot 45.6% from the field and were efficient at the free-throw line, making 23 of 27 attempts. Baye Ndongo added 16 points for Georgia Tech. However, they were hampered by their four total assists, highlighting Miami’s disruptive defense and their own stagnant ball movement at times.

The total points, 172, sailed over the pregame over/under line of 154.5. Miami’s victory solidified its strong start to conference play, while Georgia Tech dropped its second straight ACC contest.

Miami next travels to face Notre Dame on Tuesday. Georgia Tech returns home to host Pittsburgh on Wednesday.