Boxscore (PDF)
RedHawks Wrangle MAC Opening Win against Bulls, 91-81

OXFORD, Ohio—A strong effort in the second half catapulted the Miami University men’s basketball team to a thrilling 91-81 win against the University at Buffalo on Wednesday evening at Alumni Arena in the Mid-American Conference opener for both teams. The RedHawks (7-5; 1-0 MAC) evaporated an 11-point second-half deficit and went on to seize a late 11-point advantage against the Bulls (6-5; 0-1 MAC) en route to the double-figure win to open league play.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• It was a tight contest throughout the first 13 minutes of the first half with neither team leading by more than four points. Miami took its first lead since the opening bucket off a James Beck layup with just over 10 minutes to play in the half, 18-16.
• The Bulls pushed ahead by seven points with just under seven minutes to play in the half, but five points from Dae Dae Grant followed by a bucket from Kamari Williams knotted the game, 27-27, with 5:16 to go.
• Buffalo went on an 11-0 run to take a 38-27 lead with 2:21 to go in the half. Layups from Williams and Grant over the last 1:05 sent the RedHawks into the intermission trailing seven, 40-33.
• Buffalo again pushed ahead to an 11-point advantage by the 17:48 mark of the second half. Miami chiseled away at the Buffalo lead and knotted the game at 50-50 off a Mekhi Lairy triple at the 13:51 mark.
• Miami continued to persevere. Trailing by as many as five, Miami erased the deficit and eventually took a 66-64 lead off a Precious Ayah layup with 7:17 to play. Miami extended its lead to four off a three-point play from Grant with just under six minutes to play, 71-69.
• The RedHawks used a 9-0 run that was ignited by a triple from Dalonte Brown at the 1:20 mark to push their lead to 11 points with 44 seconds to play, 88-77. Miami did not waiver over the remaining seconds in the double-figure win.

 
NOTES:

• Lairy amassed a career-high 28 points in 37 minutes of action to lead all scorers. He also handed out five assists.
• Grant notched 23 points in 40 minutes of action and handed out six assists and added two steals.
• Brown tallied 17 points and had a team-high eight rebounds. Ayah was the other RedHawk to score in double figures with 13 points. He added seven rebounds to his line.
• Miami moves to 51-24 in MAC openers and 24-15 when opening MAC play on the road. This is the RedHawks’ first conference-opening win since the 2017-18 season.
• This is Miami’s first MAC-opening win against the Bulls in four tries.
• Miami scored 58 second-half points, tying its most in a half this season. The RedHawks scored 58 in the first half against Lamar on Nov. 13 in a 104-75 win.
• Williams made his first start for Miami, finishing with six points and six rebounds while playing a crucial 32 minutes for the RedHawks.
• Freshman guard Marr Avance played in his first career game as a RedHawk, logging 11 minutes.

 
UP NEXT:
Miami returns home to host Central Michigan University at 3:30 p.m. in the second game of a women’s and men’s doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 1. The RedHawk women’s basketball team hosts Buffalo at 1 p.m.

www.MiamiRedHawks.com

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS