Dec. 10, 2011

Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery l

Wright State 51, Miami 49

l Postgame Press Conference Video

OXFORD, Ohio--Senior forward Julian Mavungacontinued his spectacular play to start the season, registering 19 points and 16 rebounds for yet another double-double. It was not enough, however, as the Miami men's basketball team fell to Wright State, 51-49, at Millett Hall on Saturday. The RedHawks fall to 2-5 overall, while the Raiders improve to 4-6.

The RedHawks started the game on a 9-1 run thanks to 3-pointers by Mavunga, freshman guard Will Sullivan and sophomore guard Josh Sewell, as well as stifling defense on the other end of the floor. Miami's defensive dominance lasted for several minutes, holding Wright State without a rebound until the 13:45 mark of the half.

The Raiders clawed their way back to only a two-point deficit with 6:06 left in the half to make the score 15-13. Less than two minutes later, Wright State took its first lead of the game on a trey by Reggie Arceneaux, capping an 8-0 Raider run. The RedHawks regained the lead after two Mavunga free throws with 3:20 remaining in the half to make the score 17-16. The two freebies were Miami's first points in over six minutes.

The RedHawks picked their game up in the closing minutes of the half and regained the lead, heading into halftime with a 22-21 advantage. Mavunga led all players with 12 points and nine rebounds, as well as an emphatic one-handed dunk to bring the crowd to its feet with 50 seconds to go.

It was not a pretty twenty minutes of basketball for either squad shooting-wise. Both teams combined to shoot just under 30 percent for the half, with each team registering seven field goals.

Only 22 seconds into the second half, Mavunga grabbed his 10th rebound of the game, giving him his fourth double-double of the season.

Wright State wrestled the lead back with almost 17:00 left in the second half on a 3-pointer by Cole Darling. Less than a minute later, Darling drained another shot from beyond the arc to give the Raiders a four-point lead, 29-25. Wright State extended its run to 13-3 and its lead grew to 34-27 after an and-one by Reggie Arceneaux with 14:44 left in the half.

A layup by Will Sullivanput Miami back within four points and ended yet another long RedHawk scoring drought. The layup came at the 11:42 mark of the half, the first Miami field goal in nearly eight minutes and the first points in nearly three.

After Wright State suffered from a scoring drought of its own, the RedHawks took advantage and rattled off a 6-0 scoring run of their own to tie the game at 37-37. The Raiders quickly answered with a 3-pointer from Armond Battle to make the score 40-37.

Wright State regained its three-point lead, 50-47, on a Darling free throw with 3:03 remaining in the game. Neither team scored until two Raider free throws with 56 seconds left to make the score 50-45. Despite shooting barely 30 percent from the field for the afternoon, Miami willed itself back into the game with a 3-pointer by sophomore forward Jon Harrisand great team defense in the final seconds.

With only two seconds remaining in the game Mavunga found himself at the free-throw line. He drained the first shot to pull the RedHawks within one, but the second one did not fall. Wright State grabbed the rebound and, after hitting one of two free throws with less than a second left, took the victory, 51-49.

Mavunga led all players with his 19 points and 16 rebounds, while Harris was the only other RedHawk to reach double-digits in scoring with 10. Darling led the Raiders with 13 points.

The RedHawks next play Saturday, Dec. 17 at home against Belmont at 4:30 p.m., the second game of another Miami basketball doubleheader. The women's basketball team hosts to Cincinnati at 2 p.m.