OXFORD, Ohio-- A hard-fought effort by the Miami University men's basketball team came up short in an 83-76 loss to Akron at Millett Hall on Friday night. The RedHawks to drop to 8-8 overall and 5-6 in Mid-American Conference play, while Akron moves to 12-4 overall and 10-3 in the conference. Junior Mekhi Lairy scored a career-high 24 points along with three rebounds and three assists for the RedHawks. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Akron built an 18-10 lead by the 13:36 mark of the first half. Miami continued to chisel away and used a 7-0 run that included triples from Lairy and redshirt sophomore Myja White to post a 28-25 lead at 8:14. A trey from senior Dalonte Brown at 6:45 put the RedHawk lead at 31-27.
• The Zips came back to take a one-point edge with 4:19 to go in the first half, but a 7-0 run all coming from Lairy pushed the RedHawks in front 40-34 with 2:40 to go in the half. Akron scored the last basket to cut the Miami lead to 40-37 going into the intermission. 
• At the start of the second half, the RedHawks extended their lead to 45-40. Akron retaliated with a 6-0 run to take a one-point lead at the 16:41 mark. The teams traded punches, until the Zips took a 73-67 lead with 6:23 to play. 
• Four free throws and a jumper by redshirt junior Isaiah Coleman-Lands tied the game 73-73 with 4:02 remaining. Miami was unable to take a lead in the final minutes as Akron went on to the 83-76 win.

 
NOTES 

• In addition to Lairy's 24 points, Coleman-Lands had 12 points and redshirt junior James Beck was close behind with 10.  
• Brown had 10 rebounds on the night, marking his fourth double-figure rebounding game this season. 
• Before the game, Miami honored four of its seniors: Precious Ayah, Milos Jovic, Benjamin Litteken and Michael Ritchie.  

 
UP NEXT 
The RedHawks are on the road for their next game against University of Toledo at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 16.