By AARON BEARD
AP Basketball Writer
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) – Angel Rodriguez scored 19 points and Miami took down its second straight ranked opponent, beating No. 22 Butler 85-75 on Sunday night for the Puerto Rico Tipoff championship.
Ja’Quan Newton added a career-high 17 points for the Hurricanes (5-0), who followed their romp against No. 16 Utah by building a big lead again, and then protecting that advantage against a big scoring burst from Kellen Dunham and the Bulldogs.
Dunham scored 20 of his 23 after halftime, helping Butler (3-1) trim a 19-point gap to four with about 3 1/2 minutes left. But the Hurricanes hit enough free throws late to hang on, earning their second Tipoff title and first since beating Providence to win the inaugural event in 2007.
It was quite a week for the Hurricanes in San Juan, from their three-game run to the homecoming for Rodriguez – who grew up watching a local pro team play in this same arena.
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