Feb. 20, 2003
Box Score
AKRON, Ohio - Juby Johnson's 12-foot jumper from the right elbow with 0.4 seconds left in the game lifted Miami University(11-11, 9-4 MAC) to a 55-53 win over Akron Thursday in a Mid-American Conference men's basketball contest at Rhodes Arena.
Forward Danny Horace, the only RedHawks' player in double figures, posted game-highs of 18 points and eight rebounds and was 7 of 13 in field-goal attempts, including a 4-for-5 performance behind the three-point line.
Miami, the top defensive team in the MAC (60.0 points allowed), held the Zips, the top scoring team in the league, to 27 points below their average and to just two points in the final five minutes of the game. UA was also held without a field goal for the final 6:44, while Derrick Tarver, the Zips' leading scorer, had just 13 points in the game, including only two in the second half.
Akron (10-12, 5-8) extended a two-point halftime lead to 40-32 with 14:05 left on two free throws by Andy Hipsher, who had a team-high 14 points, all in the second half, and seven rebounds. But Miami scored six straight points and took their first lead of the second half at 45-43 five minutes later on two free throws by Tim Schenke.
Akron, which shot 44 percent from the floor in the game and just 39 percent in the second half, answered back with an 8-2 run to take a 51-47 lead with 4:50 left as Darryl Peterson scored four of his 11 points.
Miami then took a 52-51 lead on a three-pointer by Horace with 2:29 left in the game. UA regained the lead on a pair of free throws by Peterson, but did not score the rest of the way. Johnson hit one of two free throws at the 1:34 mark to tie the game at 53-all. Each team had a chance to go ahead in the final minute, but missed their opportunities until Johnson, who was just 2-for-8 from the floor in the game, nailed the game-winner over two Akron defenders.
Miami was outrebounded 24 to 22 in the game and hit just 43 percent from the field, but the RedHawks hit 8 of their 21 three-point attempts and forced 13 Akron turnovers.
Akron led 27-25 at the break as the Zips outrebounded Miami 13 to 9 and collected five steals. Each team led by as many as seven in the opening 10 minutes, but neither squad led by more than three points over the final 10 minutes of the half.
Tarver paced the Zips through the first 20 minutes with 11 points. The RedHawks' leading scorer, Johnson was held scoreless in the opening half.
Johnny Hollingsworth scored just seven points for Akron, but did dish out three assists and collected seven rebounds.
