Miami University
USC
Miami Drops Close Game to USC 57-53
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 24, 2007
Final Stats | AP Action Photos 
ANAHEIM, Calif.--Senior forward Tim Pollitz scored 21 points and Miami University's men's basketball team (2-1) shot a sizzling 56 percent from the field in the first half, but it was not enough as USC (4-1) edged Miami 57-53 in the second round of the Anaheim Classic on Friday evening.
The Trojans advance to the championship game, while the RedHawks face Mississippi State at 9 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 25 in a battle for third place among the eight-team tournament field. Sunday's game will be televised on ESPN2.
USC opened up a five-point lead by the 12:39 mark of the first half off a Dwight Lewis layup, 14-9. Layups by junior forward Michael Bramos, junior center Tyler Dierkers and Tim Pollitz comprised a 6-0 RedHawk run, which handed Miami a one-point edge with 11:03 remaining in the half, 15-14. A jumper by Bramos would give Miami a 29-23 lead at 4:32, and a jumper by Tim Pollitz with 51 seconds remaining handed Miami its largest lead of the game, 33-26. O.J. Mayo, however, knocked down a 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining in the half to cut the Trojan gap to four points heading into the intermission, 33-29.
A pair of Taj Gibson free throws opened up the second-half scoring and put the Trojans within two points with 19:42 to play, 44-31. Sophomore guard Alex Moosmann hit a jumper and Tim Pollitz connected on a pair of free throws to extend the Miami lead to six points with 17:07 remaining, 37-31. USC scored seven unanswered points over the next four minutes to reclaim a one-point edge with 13:58 to play, 38-37.
The teams went back and forth until a junior guard Kenny Hayes layup and a trey by Hayes handed the Red and White a four-point lead with 9:29 to play, 45-41. USC put together a 10-3 surge over the next four and a half minutes to claim a 51-48 lead, but Dierkers nailed a 3-pointer for the RedHawks to knot the game 51-51 with 3:24 to play. The Trojans were able to close out the game on a 6-2 run to capture the 57-53 win.
Tim Pollitz reached the 20-point plateau for the 15th time in his career and has scored 20 or more points 12 times over the last 19 games. Bramos was the other RedHawk in double figures, scoring 12 points, 11 of which came in the first half. Miami outrebounded its opponent for the third time in three games, topping the Trojans on the boards, 27-23. Bramos led the RedHawks with six boards, while Dierkers chipped in five.
Mayo paced the Trojans with 21 points.
