Box Score Jan. 30, 2018
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OXFORD, Ohio - Despite finding themselves in an early double-digit hole, the Miami University men's basketball team put on a great offensive performance to blow past Akron at Millett Hall on Tuesday by a score of 79-64. The RedHawks move to 12-10 overall and 5-4 in the Mid-American Conference with the victory, while Akron slips to 10-11 (3-6 in the MAC).
Freshman forward Dalonte Brown matched his career high for the second straight game, scoring 17 points to lead Miami. Junior point guard Darrian Ringo scored 12 points of own, adding 11 assists for his sixth double-double of the season. Bam Bowman scored 13, Nike Sibande had 12, and Logan McLane chipped in 10 points to round out Miami's top scorers. McLane also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
After a corner three from Akron, McLane scored the first basket of the game for Miami. Brown then followed another Akron basket with a breakaway dunk, but that would be the only early offense for the RedHawks as the Zips jumped out to a 13-4 lead five minutes into the game. The `Hawks still wouldn't quite be able to find their offensive rhythm over the next few minutes, trailing 19-9 with 11:42 to play in the opening half.
Ringo would look to get his team back into the game, finding McLane on a nice feed then swiping a steal and dishing to Brown, cutting the deficit to six. Brown followed this up with a three-pointer off another Ringo assist, and the Zips' advantage was narrowed to 24-21 with nine minutes to go. A triple from freshman Isaiah Coleman-Lands would then knot things up. A McLane layup would complete the 12-0 run and give Miami its first lead with 7:08 left.
The teams would trade baskets for the next few minutes, but Miami would start to gain some separation with five straight points from Bowman and five straight from Ringo. This 10-0 run would send the `Hawks into the locker room with a 41-31 lead.
The RedHawks finished the first half shooting 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from three. Brown led the way with 13 points and four rebounds while Bowman scored eight. Ringo contributed six first-half assists.
Akron opened scoring in the second with a long three-ball, but Miami would be quick to answer with a Sibande jumper. A no-look pass from Jalen Adaway to Brown and a Ringo three then added to the lead, making the score 56-41 Miami with 14:39 remaining. The Zips looked to climb back into the game during a brief Miami scoreless stretch, but a Coleman-Lands three and another Ringo steal and layup kept them at bay until a three-pointer from Bowman then pushed the advantage to 64-47 with 10 minutes left to play.
Ringo continued his stellar performance with a nice spin move in the lane for a lay-in, and the teams would head into the under-eight media timeout with Miami ahead 66-52. Jake Wright got into the action, burying a three-pointer, but the RedHawks wouldn't be able to completely pull ahead, with Akron keeping the margin at 11. However, six straight Miami points, highlighted by a two-handed slam from Brown would all but seal the deal, making it 75-58 with only 3:20 still to play. From there, the `Hawks would wind down the clock and cruise to the 79-64 victory.
Miami finished the game shooting at a 48 percent clip from the floor, holding Akron to 41 percent overall and just 23 percent from beyond the arc. The `Hawks out-rebounded the Zips 35-32 and turned the ball over just 6 times while snatching nine steals. Daniel Utomi and Malcolm Duvivier were Akron's leading scorers, with 13 points each.
The Red and White will hit the road for their next contest on Saturday against Northern Illinois. The 4:30 p.m. tip-off can be seen live on ESPN3. They will return to Millett Hall Friday, Feb. 9 to host Toledo at 6:00, when former Miami great Wally Szczerbiak will be in attendance.
