OXFORD, Ohio – Despite five RedHawks scoring in double figures and shooting over 50-percent from the floor, the Miami University men's basketball team dropped a 90-81 decision to the Toledo Rockets on Tuesday evening at Millett Hall.
Mekhi Lairy led the way with 17 points and was joined by
Dae Dae Grant (14),
Dalonte Brown (12),
Myja White (11) and
James Beck (10) in double figures. The loss drops Miami to 7-5 overall and 4-3 in Mid-American Conference play. Toledo is now 14-4 overall and 9-1 in conference play.
How it Happened:
- Toledo opened the contest with three straight triples to take an early 9-2 advantage before White scored five quick points to close the gap to 15-13 with 13 minutes to play in the first half.
- A Coleman-Lands pull-up triple got Miami to within a bucket, trailing 30-27 with 6:21 left in the half. The Rockets answered with a 13-0 run and led 43-27 with 2:31 to go.
- Beck scored six-straight points for the RedHawks with 44 seconds left in the first half to narrow Toledo's lead to 45-33 at halftime.
- Back-to-back triples by Grant closed the gap to 61-52 with 12:37 left to play.
- With Toledo maintaining a nine point advantage, Lairy scored back-to-back buckets to trim UT's lead to 69-65 with 6:04 remaining. The Rockets answered quickly with a 10-2 run in under two minutes to extend its lead back to double digits, 79-67.
- Coleman-Lands converted a four-point play and Lairy and Brown chipped in with buckets as UT's lead was just 79-75 with 2:33 left in the contest.
- Miami could get no closer and fell 90-81, snapping its three-game win streak.
Game Notes:
- Precious Ayah established a career high with three steals.
- Miami finished the contest shooting 54.0-percent from the floor, while the Rockets converted at a 57.9 clip and were 11-of-23 from behind the arc.
- It was the fourth straight game Miami eclipsed 80 points, marking the first time since the 1989-90 that Miami has strung four consecutive 80-plus point performances.
Up Next:
The RedHawks play their fourth home game in five outings as Miami hosts Western Michigan at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30.
