SUNDAY'S GAME: Miami returns home to face Akron for the second time in as many games when the RedHawks and Zips battle at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6 in Millett Hall.
ABOUT AKRON: The Zips enter Friday's game with a 14-6 overall record and 7-3 MAC mark. Akron has won five of its last six and is coming off an 66-55 win against Miami on Friday. Ali Ali leads four Zips who are averaging double figures in scoring at 13.8 ppg. Enrique Freeman averages a double-double at 12.9 ppg and 10.9 rpg.
THE SERIES WITH THE ZIPS: Friday marks the 68th meeting between Miami and Akron with Akron holding a 35-32 edge in the all-time series. When playing in Oxford, Miami is 22-12 against the Zips. Akron has won the last six meetings, including a 66-55 meeting on Friday. Miami's last win in the series also was its last win against Akron in Millett Hall, a 68-61 triumph on Jan. 19, 2019 in Oxford.
UP NEXT: The RedHawks continue a three-game home stretch when Miami hosts Western Michigan at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8 and Bowling Green on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m. in the second game of a Miami Basketball doubleheader with the women's team hosting Central Michigan at 1 p.m.
TELEVISION: Sunday's game will be aired on ESPN3.
Steve Baker and Randy Hollowell will call the action.
RADIO: In its third year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami men's basketball with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. Terry Bridge will call the action. Tune-in to one of Miami's gameday affiliates:
WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.)
WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio)
WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio)
THIS GAME IS NO SECRET: During its three games this week, Miami men's basketball will be wearing special shooting shirts with the words "This Game is No Secret" as part of a nation-wide effort to bring attention to the "Secret Game," which Coach John McLendon's North Carolina Central team played at Duke University in 1944. His revolutionary fastbreak style overwhelmed Duke, in an 88-44 victory. College Insider, Inc. created "Eracism," a social inclusion movement committed to bringing forth change through education, awareness, and action. The "This Game is No Secret" initiative is part of the "Eracism" project.
MORE INFORMATION |
INFORMATIONAL VIDEO
LAIRY JOINS 1,000 POINT CLUB: Senior guard
Mekhi Lairy scored his 1,000th career point on his final bucket during overtime in a thrilling 85-82 win against Northern Illinois on Jan. 22 becoming the 38tth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Lairy needed 21 points entering the contest and scored exactly 21 points against the Huskies. He has 1,033 career points entering Miami's next contest.
GRANT AMONG NATIONAL LEADERS: Junior guard
Dae Dae Grant ranks among the top 25 in assist/turnover ratio, ranking 22nd (2.77).
CRAZY EIGHTS: Three times this season junior guard
Dae Dae Grant has recorded career highs of eight assists in a game (Nov. 20 vs. Heidelberg, Dec. 21 vs Spalding, Jan. 29 vs. Eastern Michigan). Although Grant is MU's leading scorer at 16.9 ppg, he also leads the team in assists at 4.1 apg. He had 61 assists in 32 games as a freshman and 55 in 23 games as a sophomore. Through 21 games this season, he is at 86 assists.
BLOCK PARTY: Senior forward
Precious Ayah amassed a career-high six blocked shots against Toledo on Jan. 11, tripling his previous career-high and tying for third on Miami's all-time, single-game chart. Ayah paced Miami in a nine-block performance as a team, which tied for sixth on the RedHawks' team single-game chart. Ayah leads the MAC in blocks per game on the season (1.43) and also in conference-only games (1.90). He has eight multiple-block games this season. Ayah is seven blocks away from cracking Miami's career blocked shot top 10 and 10 blocked shots away from moving onto the single-season list.
HIGH PERCENTAGES: Senior forward
Precious Ayah ties for first in the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting a scorching 65.6 percent from the floor, while senior guard
Mekhi Lairy ranks second in the MAC in free throw percentage (.900) and junior guard
Dae Dae Grant ranks third (.875).
BROWN BREAKS BOTH GAMES STARTED AND PLAYED CAREER RECORDS: Breaking Ron Harper's record of 118 for career starts with a start at Indiana State on Dec. 4 and Geovonie McKnight's record for career games played of 126 on Dec. 14, senior forward
Dalonte Brown is now the Miami career record holder in both categories. Brown's 129 career starts and 136 career games played are the new Miami records.
CHART CLIMBER: Senior forward
Dalonte Brown is climbing several Miami career top-10 lists and continues to climb the points scored list. Here is where he stands entering Miami's next game:
- Starts: 129 (1st, set record Dec. 4)
- Games Played: 136 (1st, set record Dec. 14)
- 3-Point FG: 182 (6th, 5 away from No. 5)
- Rebounds: 785 (9th, 15 from No. 8)
- Scoring: 1,454 (11th, 5 from No. 10)
ODDS 'N ENDS
- Miami used a new starting lineup for the third straight game. Senior guard Isaiah Coleman-Lands made his first start of the season, while sophomore forward Kamari Williams made his second straight start and third of the season.
- Miami ranks among the top three in the MAC in 12 statistical categories, leading the league in five categories: free-throw percentage, 3-point field goals per game, 3-point field goal attempts, fewest turnovers and turnovers per game.
- Miami ranks among the top 20 nationally in three statistical categories, including ranking 10th in free throw percentage and 13th in turnovers per game and in fewest turnovers.
- One of the most efficient free throw shooters in the MAC, senior guard Mekhi Lairy had a streak of 29 consecutive free throws snapped on Feb. 1 against Kent State. The streak dated back to the second half of the RedHawks' Nov. 27 game at Western Illinois.
- Miami drained 15 three-pointers against Bowling Green on Jan. 8, which ties for fifth on the program's single-game charts. Earlier in the season, Miami hit 17 triples against Lamar, which ties for second all-time in a single game at Miami.
