Jan. 12, 2010

Final Stats | Quotes | Notes

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University men's basketball head coach Charlie Coles tied the Mid-American Conference record for league-only triumphs with his 194th MAC victory, as the RedHawks overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to knock off Kent State, 55-53, in overtime Tuesday night at Millett Hall. Miami (4-11, 1-1 MAC) defeated the Golden Flashes (10-6, 1-1 MAC) for the third straight time and improved to 4-1 all-time against KSU in overtime.

The RedHawks earned their first league victory of the year in their first overtime contest of the season, as senior guard Kenny Hayes scored 19 points (15 in the second half and overtime), while sophomore forward Julian Mavunga tallied all 13 of his points in the final 10 minutes of the second half to help Miami pull even. Junior guard Antonio Ballard pulled down a game-high and career-high-tying 11 boards in the win, while Tyree Evans led Kent State with a game-high 23 points.

Miami managed just 11 points in the opening half on 5-of-19 shooting (26.3 percent), including 0-for-7 from deep, but the 'Hawks chipped away and Hayes drilled a fade-away triple with the shot clock expiring to knot the game at 47 all with 1:09 left in regulation--the first tie since the opening tip-off. The Flashes' Anthony Simpson went in for the game-winning lay-up in the final seconds, but junior guard Rodney Haddix II came from the weak side to block the shot (one of Miami's season-high eight blocks on the night) and force overtime.

The RedHawks fell behind by four to start overtime, but a Ballard trey and a pair of free throws by Hayes at the 1:32 mark gave the RedHawks their first lead of the contest at 52-51. Hayes then stretched it to three with another set of freebies. Kent State answered with a pair of free throws to close within one with 42 ticks left on the clock and had a chance to grab the lead after a Miami turnover, but Haddix stole the ball and was fouled. He hit just one of two from the charity stripe with six seconds to go, but Chris Singletary's three-pointer hit the front iron at the buzzer, giving Miami the win.

For the game, the 'Hawks finished at just 36.4 percent from the floor, but were clutch from the free-throw line, going 10-of-13, while limiting KSU to just 33.3 percent shooting, including 3-of-15 from behind the arc. The Flashes outrebounded Miami, 42-37, despite the RedHawks grabbing a season high in boards. After committing nine turnovers in the first half, Miami had just three miscues the rest of the way, while Kent State turned it over 14 times on the night.

The RedHawks struggled out of the gate, falling behind 7-0 before a deep jumper by Hayes at the 15:52 mark put Miami on the board. After the Flashes stretched their advantage to 15-4, a Ballard freebie, a bucket just inside the arc from sophomore guard Kramer Soderberg and a jumper from freshman guard Orlando Williams with 6:05 to play in the half cut the deficit to six.

KSU used a 9-2 spurt over the next 2:13, however, capped by a triple from Evans, to extend the lead to 13 at 24-11 with 3:12 remaining. Neither team could find the bottom of the net the remainder of the half, as the teams went into the locker room with KSU on top by the same score.

Junior forward Nick Winbush opened scoring in the second half with a turn-around hook shot and followed with a put back to close within nine, but Evans buried a three-pointer 4:11 into the stanza for KSU's first bucket of the half to make it 27-15. Miami came within seven on a trifecta by Winbush, but again the Flashes pushed the margin back to 11 with 13:31 remaining, as Evans scored six of the game's next eight points.

The game see-sawed back and forth until a Haddix three-pointer was followed by a Mavunga lay-in to get Miami within six at 39-33 with less than nine minutes remaining. After Rodriquez Sherman hit one of two free throws, Mavunga scored five straight points to bring the 'Hawks within two at 42-40 with 5:27 on the clock. With KSU on top by three and just over a minute to play, Hayes hit the big three-pointer to draw even, allowing Miami to earn the overtime victory.

The RedHawks remain at home this weekend, as they welcome rival Ohio to Millett Hall for the "Battle of the Bricks" Saturday, Jan. 16. Tip-off is set for noon and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

--MURedHawks.com--