Feb. 25, 2006
Final Stats
KENT, Ohio--Kent State University hit 7-of-12 3-pointers in the second half, including three straight to help build 12-point lead by the 7:33 mark, to help the Golden Flashes come away with a 70-63 over Miami University's men's basketball team on Saturday afternoon at the M.A.C. Center.
Miami (16-9; 12-4 MAC), which had a seven-game win streak halted, was able to close within four points with 1:42 remaining and 36 seconds left, but the Golden Flash lead was too much to surmount as Kent State moved to 21-7 overall and 14-2 in league action.
A 12-0 flurry in the first half, spurred by 3-pointers from William Hatcher and Michael Bramos, lifted Miami to a 14-point lead with 10:55 remaining in the half, 17-3. After a KSU layup, Monty St. Clair dumped in a jumper with 9:47 remaining to put the RedHawks up 19-5.
Kent State was able to cut the Miami lead to five off a Jay Youngblood 3-pointer with 3:12 remaining in the first half. A trio of free throws by Hatcher and a layup by Nathan Peavy pushed the Miami lead back to 10 points with 1:29 left, 32-22, but a layup by KSU's Omni Smith at the 1:16 mark and a free-throw by Smith with 29 seconds remaining cut the Miami lead to seven at the half, 32-25.
After Miami took a 34-26 lead off a Tim Pollitz layup at the 19:32 mark of the second half, Kent State went a 14-2 run to capture a 40-36 lead by the 14:36 mark. A three-point play by Bramos off a driving layup and ensuing free throw, handed the RedHawks a one-point edge with 13:24 to play, 41-40, but the Golden Flashes went on a 19-7 surge to capture a 59-47 lead by the 7:33 mark. Miami chipped away at the Kent State lead and closed the gap to four off a Hachter layup with 1:42 remaining, 64-60, and then pulled within four again off a Hatcher jumper with 36 second left, 66-62, but the Golden Flashes nailed all four free throw attempts down the stretch to seal the 70-63 win.
Hatcher paced Miami with 17 points and five assists, playing his 13th complete game of the year and his 14th game of 40 minutes or more. Bramos added 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while Tim Pollitz tallied 13 points.
Smith led all players with 21 points, while Youngblood added 15 points and DeAndre Haynes tallied 10 points.
Miami enters its final week of the regular season, continuing a two-game road stretch at Bowling Green at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Mar. 1. The RedHawks conclude the regular season, hosting Buffalo at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 4.
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