Miami Game Notes (PDF)
THURSDAY’S GAME: Miami opens its stint in the 2021 Mid-American Conference Tournament facing No. 2 seed Buffalo in the quarterfinals on Thursday, March 11. The RedHawks play the third game of the day with the first game tipping off at 11 a.m. and each game following 30 minutes after the conclusion of the previous game. Miami’s game will be at approximately 4 p.m.

ABOUT BUFFALO: The Bulls enter Thursday’s game with a 14-7 overall record and 12-5 Mid-American Conference mark. UB rides a five-game win streak into the tournament and is coming off an 81-67 win against Kent State on Friday. Jeenathan Williams averages a team-leading 17.3 ppg and adds 7.0 rpg. Josh Mballa follows at 15.1 ppg and a team-best 9.9 rpg. Jayvon Graves and Ronaldo Segu follow at 14.6 ppg and 12.7 ppg, respectively. As a team, the Bulls are averaging 82.71 ppg and a +10.0 scoring margin.

THE SERIES WITH THE BULLS: Thursday marks the 51st meeting between Miami and Buffalo with the RedHawks holding a 26-24 lead in the series. When facing the Bulls in the MAC Tournament, Miami is 4-1. UB won both meetings this season, a 90-62 win in Oxford (Dec. 15) and an 88-64 win in Buffalo (Feb. 6). The RedHawks’ last win against the Bulls was in the opening round of last year’s MAC Tournament in Buffalo, 85-79. The last time the teams met in Cleveland for the MAC Tournament was on March 10, 2016 with the Bulls posting a 94-81 quarterfinal win. Miami’s last MAC Tournament win in Cleveland against Buffalo was on March 11, 2010, 73-59, in the quarterfinals.

MAC TOURNAMENT: MIAMI VS. BUFFALO (4-1)
2002    W    71-60    Oxford, Ohio    1st
2008    W    69-68    Cleveland, Ohio    1st
2010    W    73-59    Cleveland, Ohio    Q
2016    L    81-94    Cleveland, Ohio    Q
2020    W    85-79    Buffalo, N.Y.    1st

UP NEXT: With a win, the RedHawks would advance to meet the winner of the Akron/Bowling Green matchup in the second MAC Tournament semifinal game on Friday, March 12 at approximately 7:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.

TELEVISION: Thursday’s game will be televised on ESPN+. Michael Reghi and Dave Bacon will call the action.

RADIO: In its second year of its partnership with Van Wagner, the Miami Sports Network, powered by Pepsi, continues its coverage of Miami Basketball with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. The radio broadcast also will be carried via the TuneIn App. Steve Baker and 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)
TuneIn App

GRANT EARNS ALL-MAC HONORS: Miami sophomore guard Dae Dae Grant was named to the All-MAC Third Team. In MAC play, Grant ranks among conference leaders in scoring (14.53, 14th), free throw percentage (.902, 2nd), three-point field goal percentage (.434, 6th) and made three-pointers per game (2.71, 7th). On the season, Grant ranks among league leaders in scoring (13.73, 18th), three-point field goal percentage (.414, 7th), and made three-pointers per game (2.50, 8th).

REDHAWKS CLINCH SPOT IN MAC TOURNAMENT: Miami secured a spot in the eight-team Mid-American Conference Tournament in Cleveland March 11-13. The RedHawks clinched a berth following a 74-66 win at Western Michigan on Feb. 25. 

MIAMI IN THE QUARTERFINALS: This is the 31st time Miami has advanced to the quarterfinal round with the RedHawks posting a 16-13 record in MAC Tourney quarterfinal games. Miami advanced to last year’s quarterfinals before the tournament was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Miami has advanced to the quarterfinals in four of the last six years, including three of the last four MAC Tournaments.

ROARING 20s: In seven of Miami’s last eight games, four different RedHawks scored 20 or more points. 

• Junior forward James Beck – career-high 24 points at Buffalo (Feb. 6). 
• Junior guard Mekhi Lairy – career-high 24 points against Akron (Feb. 12).  
• Senior forward Dalonte Brown – 21 points at Toledo (Feb. 16). 
• Sophomore guard Dae Dae Grant – 26 points at Northern Illinois (Feb. 20). 
• Dae Dae Grant – 25 points at Central Michigan on Feb. 23. 
• Dalonte Brown – 20 points; Mekhi Lairy 20 points at Western Michigan (Feb. 25). 
• Dalonte Brown – career-high 29 points Bowling Green (Mar. 2). 

BROWN REACHES 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Senior forward Dalonte Brown became the 37th member of Miami’s 1,000 Point Club on Jan. 12, 2021. Brown enters Miami’s next game with 1,212 career points and has moved into a tie for 24th on the list. 

MORE ON BROWN: Dalonte Brown played in his 100th career game on Tuesday, Dec. 15 against Buffalo. He made his 100th career start against Toledo on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Entering Miami’s next game, Brown has played in 117 career games and made 110 career starts, which ranks seventh among MU career leaders. He is three games away from cracking the career games played list.

ROAD STREAKS: Miami finished the regular season winning four-straight road games. MU captured a 69-64 win at Northern Illinois (Feb. 20), a 96-54 win at Central Michigan (Feb. 23), a 74-66 win at Western Michigan (Feb. 25) and an 84-79 overtime win at Bowling Green on Mar. 2. It is the first time since 2008-09 Miami has won four-straight road games. 

WORKING OVERTIME: Miami’s overtime win at Bowling Green on March 2 was its first overtime game since an 84-79 overtime loss at Western Michigan on Feb. 16, 2019. Miami moves to 76-52 in overtime games. Senior forward Dalonte Brown poured in a career high 29 points. Brown was 10-of-18 (.556) from the field, including 5-of-9  (.556) from 3-point range and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. The 29 points are the most scored by a RedHawk this season and Brown’s third 20-point scoring effort. He hauled in 14 rebounds, posting his sixth double-double of the season. Brown scored the go-ahead bucket in overtime and hit two key free throws with four seconds remaining to help ice the overtime game for Miami.

ODDS ‘N ENDS

• Senior guard Milos Jovic joined the Century Club on Jan. 30 against Western Michigan, playing in his 100th career game. Entering the RedHawks’ next game, Jovic has played in 108 career games.
• With 25 points at Central Michigan on Feb. 23, sophomore guard Dae Dae Grant notched his fifth 20-point scoring effort of the season and now has four of the top five scoring efforts for Miami this season. Grant also scored 28 points at Eastern Michigan (Jan. 23) and 27 points against Bowling Green (Jan. 21) and 26 points at Northern Illinois (Feb. 20).
• Redshirt junior guard Isaiah Coleman-Lands has been stingy with turnovers and currently boasts a 2.70 assist/turnover ratio with 64 assists to 25 turnovers through 21 games. He ranks second in the MAC and 30th nationally in assist/turnover ratio. 
• Averaging 11.0 turnovers per game, Miami ranks second the MAC in fewest turnovers and ranks 24th nationally. Miami has committed fewer turnovers than its opponent in 13 of its 22 games and the same number in four games this season. The RedHawks have had 10 or fewer turnovers in 12 of their 22 games, including a season-low four against Mount St. Joseph on Dec. 11.
• Miami exceeded 80 points in four straight games from Jan. 19-26, scoring 81 against Ball State, 96 against Bowling Green, 85 at Western Michigan and 81 against Toledo. It was the first time since January 1990 that MU has strung together four-straight games scoring 80 or more points when Miami scored 87 at Ohio (Jan. 3, 1990), 83 against Central Michigan (Jan. 6, 1990), 96 at Bowling Green (Jan. 10, 1990) and 94 against Eastern Michigan (Jan. 13, 1990). 
• The 96 points by Miami against BGSU on Jan. 21 were its most since a 119-52 win against Wilberforce on Dec. 30, 2019, and the most against a Division I opponent since a 100-94 double-overtime win at Central Michigan on Jan. 5, 2002. The RedHawks also scored 96 points at Central Michigan on Feb. 23.
• Sophomore guard Dae Dae Grant averaged 21.3 ppg, while shooting a sizzling 57.9 percent from the field and a scorching 63.2 percent from 3-point range and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line as Miami rattled off three wins in five days to earn MAC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 25. Grant set career highs for points (28), field goals (10) and triples (6) against Eastern Michigan that he set in the previous game (27 pts, 9 fg, 5 3-pt fg) against Bowling Green. Grant, who knocked down 12 treys on the week, also was named MAC Player of the Week by College Sports Madness and the Lou Henson National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com.

FEBRUARY 23 HIGHLIGHTS

• Miami set a program record for three-pointers in a game with 18 at CMU, eclipsing the previous record of 17 against Midway on Nov. 29, 2017. Six different RedHawks contributed to the record. 
• Sophomore guard Dae Dae Grant led all players with 25 points, including a 7-for-12 effort from three-point range. His seven treys tie for eighth among all-time Miami leaders in a single game.
• The 96 points against the Chippewas match the season-best scoring effort the RedHawks had earlier this season against Bowling Green on Jan. 21.
• The 58 first-half points for the RedHawks were their most in a half this season, besting a 55-point second-half effort against Bowling Green on Jan. 21.
• Miami shot 52.1 percent from the floor and 51.4 percent from three-point range for the game. The RedHawks shot 61.1 percent from the field and 63.2 percent from three-point range in the opening half.
• The 42-point win for the RedHawks in their 96-54 triumph at Central Michigan on Feb. 23 ties for the 19th-largest margin in a win and is third-largest margin of victory against a MAC opponent. It is Miami’s biggest win against CMU.

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