Miami University
Pittsburgh
No. 5/6 Panthers Down RedHawks 82-53
11/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 17, 2008
PITTSBURGH--Senior guard Kenny Hayes scored 18 points to lead all scorers and had four assists and five rebounds, while senior center/forward Tyler Dierkers had 12 points and four steals, but it was not enough as Miami University's men's basketball team suffered an 82-53 loss at No. 5/6 Pittsburgh on Monday evening.
The RedHawks (1-2) hung with the Panthers (2-0) in the first half, trailing just five at the intermission, but Miami was outscored 47-23 in the second half en route to the Pitt win
Pitt jumped out of the gates, claiming a quick 9-0 lead. The Panthers built their lead to 12 twice, 19-7 and 21-9, the latter coming at the 8:40 mark. A 3-pointer by Hayes, along with a trey by sophomore forward/guard Antonio Ballard and a layup by Hayes quickly pulled the RedHawks within four, 21-17, with just over seven minutes left in the first half.
By the 3:37 mark, Pitt pushed its lead to eight points, 31-23, but another Ballard trey and a tip-in by Dierkers put the RedHawks within two with just over two minutes left in the half, 31-28. Pitt's Nasir Robinson tossed in a layup, but Dierkers responded with a jumper to keep the RedHawks within three with just over a minute remaining in the first half. Levance Fields added a layup for Pitt with 44 seconds left to give the Panthers a five-point cushion going into the half, 35-30.
Pitt started the second half on a 13-2 run to extend its lead to 51-32 by the 15:38 mark, and Miami was never able to recover. The Panthers took their largest lead of the game in the final seconds off a pair of Gary McGhee free-throws, making the final tally 82-53. Pitt shot a stifling 64.3 percent from the field in the second half and 59.3 percent from the floor for the game.
The Panthers had five players score in double figures, led by Sam Young and Jermaine Dixon with 14 points apiece. Fields had a double-double with 12 points and 12 assists.
In addition to Hayes and Dierkers, Ballard tallied 10 points, a team-leading six rebounds and added two steals for the RedHawks.
After playing three games in six days, including two top-10 teams in five days, Miami has a week off before traveling to local rival Wright State for a 7 p.m. game on Monday, Nov. 24.
