Miami University
South Alabama
RedHawks Win First-Round Matchup Against South Alabama, 64-59
11/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2007
ANAHEIM, Calif.--Junior forward Michael Bramos scored 23 of Miami's 34 second-half points en route to a career-high 28-point night, and senior forward Tim Pollitz amassed a career-high 16 rebounds and posted his fifth career double-double, adding 15 points, as the Miami University men's basketball team (2-0) opened its stint at the Anaheim Classic with a 64-59 win against South Alabama (2-2) on Thursday evening.
After trailing by five points midway through the first half, 17-12, a pair of back-to-back 3-pointers by Bramos and junior guard Kenny Hayes gave Miami a 18-17 edge. South Alabama would recapture a three-point lead, 21-18 off a Brandon Davis jumper, but Miami went on a 7-0 run off a layup and a jumper by Tim Pollitz and a 3-pointer by Eric Pollitz to post a 25-21 lead with 5:05 to play. A pair of Tim Pollitz free throws with 4:13 remaining in the half followed by another Eric Pollitz 3-pointer at 3:11 gave the RedHawks a 30-24 lead and a six-point advantage which they would carry into the half.
In the second half it was the Bramos show as he accounted for nearly 65 percent of Miami's second-half scoring. After the Jaguars closed within four points at the 15:57 mark, 34-30, Miami went on a 14-4 run, with 12 points coming from Bramos, to build a 48-34 lead. Miami recorded its largest lead off a Hayes dunk with 5:36 to play, 57-42, and held a 14-point edge with 3:29 to play, 59-45. South Alabama went on a 10-0 flurry to cut the lead to four points with 28 seconds remaining, 59-54. The Jaguars would get as close as three points with 17 seconds left, 61-58, but Tim Pollitz went 3-for-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch to help preserve the 64-59 win.
Hayes was Miami's other double-figure scorer with 11 points. Bramos added nine rebounds, while Tim Pollitz and junior center Tyler Dierkers each recorded six assists in the winning effort.
Brandon Davis paced South Alabama with 13 points.
Miami faces the USC/San Diego winner at 12:30 a.m. (ET) on Saturday, Nov. 24 on ESPN2.
NOTES: Miami outrebounded South Alabama 40-29 ... the RedHawks had 13 offensive rebounds ... Tim Pollitz had eight rebounds in both the first and second halves and accounted for six of the RedHaw's 13 offensive boards for the game ... Miami moves into the winner's bracket at the Anaheim Classic.
