Dec. 23, 2009
Final Stats
CINCINNATI - Senior guard Kenny Hayes scored a game- and season-high 24 points and sophomore forward Julian Mavunga logged his fourth career double-double tying his career high in points and rebounds, but the Miami University men's basketball team came up just short Wednesday night at the Cintas Center as a Hayes game-tying 3-point attempt fell short in the final seconds and Xavier (7-4) snuck away with a 70-67 win.
The RedHawks (3-9) overcame a 17-point deficit and led by one midway through the second half but were unable to come away with the victory in a game that featured 14 lead changes and eight ties. Mavunga led the way for Miami with 18 points (13 in the second half) and a game-high 12 rebounds while Hayes went 10-for-20 from the field to register his season-high total while also handing out a game-high six assists. Jordan Crawford led Xavier with 19 points while Mark Lyons chipped in 13 and Kenny Frease snagged 11 caroms.
After Xavier opened with five straight points, junior guard/forward Antonio Ballard put Miami on the board with a trifecta just over a minute into the contest. Junior guard Rodney Haddix gave the RedHawks their first lead of the game at 8-7 on a 3-pointer with 14:16 remaining but the Musketeers answered with a quick layup to again put Xavier on top. The teams continued to trade baskets--and the lead--until junior forward Nick Winbush hit a triple shortly after entering the game and a pair of Musketeer free throws knotted the game at 13 at the under-12 media timeout.
The game remained even at 21 with 6:37 to play in the half until a 17-0 burst by Xavier over the next 4:01, led by six points from Lyons, opened up a 38-21 cushion, during which the RedHawks went 0-for-8 from the floor. Senior center Adam Fletcher banked in a short jumper to stop the bleeding with 1:24 left in the period which sparked a 10-0 Miami run to end the half. Hayes completed a 3-point play when he was fouled on a slam while another Fletcher bucket brought the 'Hawks within 10 and Mavunga nailed a trey just before the buzzer sounded, sending Miami into the break down just seven at 38-31.
The RedHawks shot just 38.7 percent (12-for-31) in the half, but half of their baskets were 3-pointers (6-for-15), keeping them within reach. Hayes led Miami with 10 points at intermission while Mavunga snared seven boards. Xavier pushed the tempo to grab the lead, outscoring the Red & White 12-0 on fast-break points in the opening stanza. The Musketeers shot 46.7 percent (14-of-30) for the half and knocked down four triples as Lyons had 11 points and Crawford had eight to pace Xavier. The Musketeers also went to the line eight more times than Miami in the half and made five more freebies to help their cause.
After Xavier opened the second half with two free throws, the 'Hawks continued where they left off in the first half, chipping away at the deficit. Mavunga added eight points in the first 3:11 of the half and Hayes added a pair of buckets, as Miami used a 12-2 run to grab the lead at 43-42 with 16:49 remaining, capped by three freebies from Mavunga. A Crawford dunk recaptured the lead for the Musketeers, but Mavunga buried a 3-pointer to answer and put Miami on top by two.
Xavier inched out to a four-point advantage at 54-50 with 8:45 to go when Dante' Jackson knocked down a 3-pointer and Jason Love followed with a layup. A Mavunga layup got Miami within two but a pair of Musketeer 3-pointers around a Hayes jumper put Xavier up six at 60-54. The lead was extended to 64-56 with 3:08 remaining but back-to-back trifectas from Haddix and freshman guard Orlando Williams closed the gap to two with 92 seconds left in regulation.
Love dropped in two free throws upping Xavier's lead to four but Hayes drained a triple to get within one with 38 ticks to play. Crawford also hit two freebies to make it 68-65 and Hayes looked like he may have a chance to tie it with a layup and a foul, but a charge was called. After another set of free throws and a Hayes layup kept the margin at three, Miami forced a five-second call on the ensuing inbound play with nine ticks on the clock, but Hayes' last-second 3-pointer dropped short of the rim, allowing the Musketeers to escape with the 70-67 win.
The 'Hawks finished 24-of-59 from the floor (40.7 percent), including 10-of-24 from behind the arc, and made 9-of-11 free throws. Xavier hit at a 44.4 percent clip for the game (24-of-54) and was 7-of-15 from distance, but went just 15-of-24 from the charity stripe.
The RedHawks now take a 12-day break for the holidays, before continuing their four-game road stretch Tuesday, Jan. 5, at Big 12 foe Colorado, in what will be the first-ever meeting on the hardwood between the schools. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local).
--MURedHawks.com--
