Feb. 9, 2008
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OXFORD, Ohio--Senior forward Tim Pollitz knocked down a pair of free throws with eight seconds remaining to help clinch a 68-64 win for Miami University's men's basketball team against Central Michigan University on Saturday afternoon.
While Tim Pollitz knocked down the free throws to help preserve the win, it was junior forward Michael Bramos who did most of the RedHawks' scoring, amassing a game-high 32 points off 9-of-16 shooting from the floor and going 11-of-12 from the free-throw line.
Bramos added a career-high five blocked shots, which ties for fifth on Miami's single season list. The RedHawks amassed 10 blocked shots, the most by a Miami team since 1996, tying for second on Miami's single-game chart.
Winning their fifth straight, the RedHawks improved to 12-10 on the season and 6-4 in Mid-American Conference play. It also was the RedHawks' 13th consecutive win in the all-time series with the Chippewas. CMU dropped to 10-12 on the season and 5-5 in league action.
The first half was a series of scoring runs. Central Michigan built a 19-9 lead by the 7:50 mark of the first half, but Miami went on a 13-3 run to even the score, 22-22, with 4:25 to play in the half. Bramos scored nine of the RedHawks' points during the run, while junior guard Kenny Hayes scored the other four.
CMU pulled out to a 29-22 lead off a 7-0 run, but Miami came right back to even the game--29-29 with 1:09 remaining in the half--with its own 7-0 run. CMU's Chase Simon hit a jumper with one second left to give the Chippewas a 31-29 lead at the half.
In the second half, Central Michigan pushed its advantage to eight points off a Robbie Harman 3-pointer at the 11:03 mark to give the Chippewas a 52-44 lead. Miami chiseled away at the CMU lead, using a persistent 16-5 surge to capture a 60-57 lead. Bramos scored seven points during the RedHawk run.
A pair of Marko Spica free throws and a Giordan Watson jumper gave the Chippewas a one-point edge with 3:12 remaining, 61-60. Hayes finessed in a layup at 1:09 to give Miami a 62-61 advantage and a lead it would not relinquish.
Bramos and junior center Tyler Dierkers each went 1-for-2 from the free-throw line, while Hayes drained a pair of free throws to put the RedHawks up 66-61, but Watson drilled a 3-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to put the Chippewas within two, 66-64.
A quick foul sent Tim Pollitz to the line where he sunk both free throws to up the RedHawk lead to four. CMU tried to cut the lead to one, but a 3-point shot with three seconds remaining was off the mark and Miami came away with the 68-64 win.
In addition to his 32 points and five blocked shots, Bramos also recorded three steals in 40 minutes of action. Hayes added 17 points, while Dierkers hauled in a career-high-tying nine boards for the third straight game.
Central Michigan was led by Harman with 18 points, all coming from beyond the arc, and five steals. Watson added 16 points and five assists.
Miami hits the road for a pair of games next week as the RedHawks travel to Western Michigan for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, Feb. 12 and then travel to Buffalo for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 16.
