Miami University
Nicholls State
Miami Tops Nicholls State for First Win of Season
11/21/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Senior guard Kenny Hayes scored 23 points, while junior guard Rodney Haddix II amassed a career-high 21 points and sophomore forward Julian Mavunga collected his second-straight double-double (12 points; 10 rebounds) to lead Miami University's men's basketball team (1-3) to a 69-58 win over Nicholls State (0-4) in the World Vision Classic/Basketball Travelers Tournament on Saturday evening.
After shooting 44.4 percent from the field in the first half and 43.8 percent in each half against Louisiana Tech on Friday, the RedHawks got back on track from the field in the second half, hitting 52.4 percent of their field goals over the final 20 minutes. Haddix was near perfect from the field, hitting 6-of-7 field goals, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range. His only miss came with 2:04 remaining in the game. Haddix also sunk all six of his free-throw attempts.
In the first half, Nicholls State used a 7-0 spurt to capture a 21-15 advantage by the 7:56 mark. Miami came right back with six-straight points off a Hayes dunk and layup sandwiched around a pair of Mavunga free throws to knot the game, 21-21, with 6:07 remaining in the half. The RedHawks took one-point leads of two free throws each from junior forward Nick Winbush at 4:22 and Mavunga at 2:04, giving Miami respective 23-22 and 25-24 leads.
Five straight Colonel points quickly put them back on top by four with 1:08 to play, 29-25. Miami closed within one point twice, the last with 10 seconds remaining off a two Mavunga charity tosses, but a Maurice Foster layup with five seconds left gave Nicholls State a 33-30 halftime edge.
In the second half, Miami battled back to take a five-point lead off a Haddix trey with 15:20 to play, 40-35. A Hayes jumper with 13:44 remaining again put the RedHawks up five, 42-37. But a 10-0 flurry by Nicholls State quickly put the Colonels back on top, 47-42, with 10:08 remaining.
The RedHawks retaliated with a 9-0 run to capture a 51-47 edge by the 7:50 mark. During the rally, Hayes tossed in a layup with 8:36 remaining to put the RedHawks up for good. After Miami posted a seven-point advantage with 4:01 to play off two Haddix free throws, the Colonels crept back within four with 3:17 to play. That was as close as Nicholls State would get as Miami pulled away to an 11-point win.
Anatoly Bose led the Colonels with a game-high 27 points, while oster chipped in 14 points.
The RedHawks close out their stint at the World Vision Classic/Basketball Travelers Tournament facing host New Mexico at 8 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.
