FRIDAY'S GAME: The RedHawks travel to conference opponent University at Buffalo this Friday, Mar. 3. This is Miami's 31st game of the season, and tip time is set for 7:00 p.m. at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. With a win, the Red and White would clinch the eight seed in the MAC Tournament. Fans can tune in on ESPN+ or by listening to one of Miami's game day radio affiliates which consists of WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, Ind.), WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, Ohio) and WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, Ohio).

ABOUT BUFFALO: Jim Whitesell enters his 4th season as the head coach of the Bulls. Coach Whitesell was named the head coach on April 6, 2019. Prior to becoming the head coach, he spent four seasons as the associate head coach. Buffalo currently stands at 14-16 and holds an 8-9 record in conference play. The Bulls most recently defeated Northern Illinois University University 85-75. They currently have four players who average above double-digits in scoring, which includes guard Curtis Jones (15.1), guard Zid Powell (12.6), forward Isaiah Adams (11.6) and forward LaQuill Hardnett (10.8). This year, Buffalo is averaging 77.9 points per game and shooting 45.7% from the field. They have held their opponents to 77.4 points per game. The team also averages 15.1 assists and 37.8 rebounds in each game they play. 

THE SERIES WITH THE BULLS: Miami and Buffalo first faced off over 20 years ago, dating back to 1999. This Friday, will mark the 55th meeting between Miami and Buffalo. The RedHawks hold a 15-10 home record, 11-14 away record and 2-2 neutral record when facing the Bulls. 

UP NEXT: Miami is chasing the eight seed in the MAC tournament heading into Friday's regular-season finale. The MAC quarterfinals are slated for Thursday, Mar. 9 in Cleveland, Ohio.

WMU RECAP: Fifth-year senior Mekhi Lairy scored a team-high 21 points to propel the Miami University men's basketball team to its fourth straight win in a 77-62 victory at Western Michigan. Anderson Mirambeaux added 18 points and Ryan Mabrey contributed 14 for the RedHawks (12-18, 6-11 MAC). Tray Maddox Jr. put up 25 points for the Broncos (7-23, 3-14 MAC).

REDHAWK TRIO: This season the RedHawks have three of the top 20 scorers in the MAC. This consists of team captains Mekhi Lairy (17.6, 4th overall), Morgan Safford (15.3, 13th overall) and Anderson Mirambeaux (14.1, 17th overall). Combined, the trio scores 47 of Miami's 74 points per contest. 

MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: The Mid-American Conference announced its weekly basketball awards this past Monday. Miami fifth-year guard Mekhi Lairy was named MAC Player of the Week. It is his first MAC honor of the season. Lairy averaged 19.5 ppg, 4.5 apg and 4.0 rpg to lead Miami over Bowling Green (74-65) and Ohio (85-68). With his leadership, Miami extended its win streak to three games. Lairy shot 52.0 percent from the field (13-of-25) and went 80.0 percent (8-of-10) from the free-throw line over the week. Against Bowling Green, he scored 13 points with a game-high seven assists and four rebounds. He followed this with a game-high 26-point performance versus archrival Ohio. Lairy went 66.7 percent (4-of-6) from three-point range and added four rebounds to take home a win on Senior Day. 

LAIRY LEGEND: Among the returners is fifth-year senior Mekhi Lairy, who set Miami's single-season free-throw percentage record a year ago and currently holds the career free-throw percentage record. Lairy, who averaged 13.6 ppg in 2021-22, posted his 1,000th career point last season and broke Miami's career games played record this season. Lairy now has 1,720 career points. He is in fourth place on the program's all-time scoring list after passing Eric Newsome (1984-88) against Ohio on Feb. 25. On Feb. 14 versus Toledo, Lairy surpassed Jamie Mercurio (1989-92) to move into the number three spot in career assists. This season against Georgia, Lairy set a new career-high in points (34) and produced the first 30-point game for a RedHawk since Mar. 9, 2020 (Nike Sibande, 31). He has also recorded two other 30-point scoring performances this season against Wright State and Bellarmine. 

CHART CLIMBER: Fifth year guard Mekhi Lairy 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:

• Free Throw Percentage: .872 (1st all-time)
• Games Played: 149 (1st all-time)
• 3-Point FG: 196 (5th, 2 away from tying No. 4)
• Assists: 432 (3rd, 6 away from tying No. 2)
• Scoring: 1,720 (4th, 108 away from tying No. 3)

SAFFORD SHOW: In his first year with Miami, Morgan Safford has already recorded over five 20-point games. Safford has also recorded the most double-doubles on the team this season at four total. He ranks sixth in the MAC in total double-doubles this year. So far he has set career-highs in points, rebounds and assists. Despite dealing with an injury early in the season, he set what was his previous career-high 26-points against Jackson State to lead the RedHawks to a 95-78 win. Against Miami's rival, Safford put up 24 points, five rebounds and four assists to help Miami defeat Ohio. 

LOCKED IN AT THE LINE: Miami University currently ranks 10th in the nation in free throw shooting percentage. As a team, the RedHawks are shooting 78%. Mekhi Lairy leads the way (91.7%), ranking fifth in the nation and first in the MAC. Anderson Mirambeaux ranks 14th in the MAC (77.5%) and Morgan Safford is currently listed at 17th in the MAC (76.6%).

STAND AND DELIVER: One of the most efficient free throw shooters in the conference, fifth-year senior guard Mekhi Lairy ranked first in the MAC in free-throw percentage in the 2021-22 season. Lairy hit 29 consecutive free throws from Nov. 27 through Jan. 29. He was perfect from the free-throw line in 18 of the 25 games where he attempted a free-throw shot. His .915 (2021-22) free throw percentage ranks first on Miami's single-season list and his .872 career free-throw percentage also ranks first. This season Lairy has went 121-132 from the free throw line. He has been perfect from the line in 20 of the 28 games where he has attempted a free-throw shot.

ACTION JACKSON: Senior walk-on Jackson Kenyon has made a strong impact in the final stretch of the season. Most recently, he recorded career-highs in points (4), assists (2) and minutes played (9:34) against Toledo. Kenyon also helped Miami top Western Michigan on Feb. 7, coming off the bench in the second half to provide a career-high four rebounds in four minutes and spark a game-clinching run. 

WHAT MAKES ANDERSON MIRAMBEAUX UNIQUE: In its 2022-23 season opener, Miami Men's Basketball started a post player who averaged all of 1.5 points per game last year with Cleveland State University. Anderson Mirambeaux, a 6-foot-8, 305-pound senior, had never played more than 15 minutes in a Division I basketball game before transferring to join the RedHawks. In his debut wearing the Red and White against Evansville on November 7, Mirambeaux dominated. Mirambeaux's career night might have come as a shock to nearly every person in Millett Hall that evening, but associate head coach Rob Summers wasn't surprised at all by Mirambeaux's 27-point outburst. Summers, who had worked with Mirambeaux at CSU last season before joining Travis Steele's new staff in Oxford, understood what the big man was capable of. For more on the story, check out his Front Row Feature! 

MABREY MAGIC: After returning to the starting lineup versus Bellarmine, Ryan Mabrey knocked down the biggest shot of his collegiate career. With 18 seconds left in the game, Mabrey scored the game clenching three-point shot to take a 69-65 lead over Bellarmine. This propelled the RedHawks to their first road victory of the season. Mabrey has four older siblings, and they all played college basketball. Between them, they have made more than 1,000 career three-pointers (and counting). For more background on Mabrey, check out his Front Row Feature! 

SHOWING OUT: Against Jackson State, six RedHawks put up double-figures in scoring for the first time since Nov. 23, 2021. This included Morgan Safford (26), Ryan Mabrey (15), Billy Smith (14), Julian Lewis (13), Anderson Mirambeaux (12), and Mekhi Lairy (11). Overall, Miami shot 60% (33-55) from the field. The Red and White also shot 50% (14-28) from the three-point line. Miami matched each of these shooting percentages against Ohio University this past Saturday.

FRESH ON THE SCENE: This year the RedHawks boast five freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors, three seniors and a fifth-year senior. 

Julian Lewis is a guard from William & Mary where he averaged 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He recorded a career-high of 17 points versus Delaware and a career-high of eight assists against Valparaiso. As a freshman, Lewis was named to the CAA All-Rookie Team. This season Lewis has averaged 5.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. 

Morgan Safford is a guard from Wofford College. During his tenure he averaged 7.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He recorded his previous career-high 21 points versus Coastal Carolina as a redshirt freshman. During his first campaign, Safford was named to the 2020-2021 Southern Conference All-Freshman Team. He was named a captain at the beginning of the season for the RedHawks. This season Safford has averaged 15.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists. 

Anderson Mirambeaux is a forward from Cleveland State University. While attending he averaged 1.5 pts, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists with the Vikings. Prior to Cleveland State, Mirambeaux attended Trinity Valley Community College. At TVCC he averaged 13.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. He was named a captain at the beginning of the season for the RedHawks. In Anderson Mirambeaux's first game with Miami, he set a career-high 27 points. In the game versus Jackson State, he also set a career-high in assists with seven. This season Mirambeaux is averaging 14.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.