Feb. 11, 2012
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
Miami 69, Central Michigan 50 
OXFORD, Ohio--A 3-2 Central Michigan lead 35 seconds into the game was the most adversity the Miami men's basketball team faced Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall, as the RedHawks came away with a 69-50 victory. Sophomore forward Jon Harris led Miami in scoring with 17 points, a career-high, and senior forward Adam Thomas registered career-highs as well with nine points and seven rebounds.
Freshman guard Will Sullivan also scored a career-high in points with eight, and freshman center Jared Tadlock scored his first point of the season on a free throw in the closing minutes, meaning four RedHawks had career games point-wise. Senior forward Julian Mavunga was the only other Miami player in double-digits with 14 points.
The RedHawks came out firing in the opening minutes of the game, jumping out to a 10-3 lead that was capitalized by a put back dunk from Harris, who had also drained a 3-pointer the previous possession. The dunk signified the final points on the board for either squad for nearly three minutes until Central Michigan's Austin McBroom knocked down two freebies at the 15:08 mark, making the score 10-5.
Miami's scoring drought lasted a minute and a half longer until Will Sullivan drilled one from behind the arc to stretch the RedHawk lead to 13-5. Two more free throws from the Chippewas made it 13-7, but then nine unanswered Miami points, four from Mavunga and five from sophomore guard Josh Sewell, extended its lead to 22-7 with 8:07 remaining in the half.
Central Michigan's Trey Zeigler knocked down a jumper at the 6:48 mark, giving the Chippewas their first field goal since the opening minute of the game, a drought of nearly 13 minutes. They would go on to make just one more field goal the entire half, and the RedHawks waltzed into the locker room at halftime with a 30-15 lead. The 15 points scored by Central Michigan were the lowest by a Miami opponent in any half this season, thanks in part to a Miami defense that held the Chippewas to just 15 percent shooting.
The second half began with back-to-back Central Michigan baskets, nearly matching the team's production from the floor in the first half. Harris answered right back for Miami with four points of his own, including an electrifying dunk that brought the crowd to its feet, making the score 34-19. Five points from sophomore guard Quinten Rollins and the RedHawks had a 9-2 scoring run to extend their lead to 39-21. The streakiness of the second half continued with Central Michigan recording six unanswered points to come within 12, 39-27.
Three free throws from Mavunga pushed the Miami lead to 15, and it was at this point that the RedHawks really found their stroke from behind the arc. Harris hit two 3-pointers and Thomas made one of his own to keep the lead at 15, 51-36, with 7:51 remaining. Miami's top 3-point shooter, freshman guard Brian Sullivan, joined in with a trey of his own and Mavunga knocked down one from long range to make the score 59-40 with 4:40 left.
Miami remained in control for the rest of the afternoon, with its lead reaching 22 points on a pair of free throws from Thomas. The 22-point lead is the largest Miami has had in any game this season. When all was said and done, the RedHawks walked away victorious by a score of 69-50.
The 19-point margin of victory is the largest of the season for Miami. Winners of three of their last four, the RedHawks will look to continue their winning ways this Wednesday when they travel to Akron to take on the Zips at 7 p.m.
