TERRE HAUTE, Ind.—For the second straight game, the Miami University men's basketball team came up on the short end of hard-fought battle in the final seconds as the RedHawks (5-3) dropped a 69-68 decision at Indiana State University (4-5) on Saturday afternoon at the Hulman Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• It was a close first half. The Sycamores led by as many as four very early on in the contest and Miami built a six-point edge off a senior Precious Ayah hook shot at 3:42, 36-30.
• Indiana State battled back to knot the game 37-37 with 50 seconds to play in the opening half, but a layup from junior Myja White handed Miami a two-point cushion that it would carry into halftime, 39-37.
• Miami continued to maintain its lead through the first part of the second half. The RedHawks used a 7-0 flurry that included five points from senior Mekhi Lairy to post their largest lead of the game with 13:02 to play, 56-47.
• The Sycamores responded with a 13-2 run to take a 60-58 lead with 4:30 to play. Back-to-back layups by junior Dae Dae Grant and senior Elijah McNamara put the RedHawks back on top 62-60 with 2:35 to play.
• The teams traded punches, and a Lairy layup with 12.6 seconds to play handed MU a 68-67 edge. The Sycamores went ahead 69-68 on a Cooper Neese layup with 1.6 seconds to play. Senior Isaiah Coleman-Lands got the ball near the sideline at half court and sunk the long-range triple, but it left his hands after the buzzer, leaving Miami with its second-straight one-point loss.

 
NOTES:

• Senior Dalonte Brown recorded the first double-double for the RedHawks this season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
• Brown broke Ron Harper's career start record, making his 119th career start. Harper's record was 118.
• Lairy led Miami in scoring, tallying 15 of his 18 points in the second half.
• Miami got 21 points off the bench, 11 coming from McNamara.

 
UP NEXT:
Miami returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 14 when the RedHawks travel to Clemson for a 7 p.m. game.