1/14/2022

SATURDAY’S GAME: Miami returns to action this weekend, hitting the road for a 2 p.m. game at Western Michigan University on Saturday, Jan. 15.

ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos enter Saturday’s game with a 4-11 overall record and 0-4 Mid-American Conference mark. Western Michigan has lost its last five and is coming off a 78-64 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday. Lamar Norman, Jr. leads the team, averaging 18.9 ppg. He has drained 46 triples on the season. Markeese Hastings leads the team on the boards, averaging 7.9 rpg and averages 9.0 ppg.

THE SERIES WITH THE BRONCOS: Saturday marks the 135th meeting between Miami and Western Michigan with the RedHawks holding an 84-50 advantage in the all-time series. When playing in Kalamazoo, Western Michigan holds a 36-29 edge on the RedHawks. Miami won both meetings last season, including a 74-66 win on Feb. 25, 2021 at University Arena. WMU’s last win in the series was in Oxford on Feb. 4, 2020, 64-60. The Broncos’ last win against the RedHawks in Kalamazoo was in overtime on Feb. 16, 2019, 84-79.

UP NEXT: Miami returns home for a Battle of the Bricks match-up with Ohio University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

SCHEDULE UPDATES: Miami has had two previously postponed games moved. The RedHawks are now scheduled to host Akron on Thursday, Feb. 3 and will entertain Central Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 24.

TELEVISION: Saturday’s game will be aired on ESPN+. Conor Clingen and Wayne Hinton 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. 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)

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 ties for sixth on the RedHawks’ team single-game chart. Ayah ranks second in the MAC in blocked shots on the season and first in conference-only games. Forward Dalonte Brown, James Beck and Elijah McNamara each recorded one blocked shot against the Rockets.

LENDING A HELPING HAND: Although, junior guard Dae Dae Grant is Miami’s leading scorer at 17.3 ppg, he also leads the team in assists at 4.2 apg. Twice this season he has posted eight-assist games. He had 61 assists in 32 games as a freshman and 55 in 23 games as a sophomore. Through 14 games this season, he is at 59 assists.

20/20 VISION X TWO: In back-to-back games, Miami had two players eclipse 20 points in the same game. Junior guard Dae Dae Grant notched a season-best 26 points, while senior forward Dalonte Brown tallied a season-high 24 points in an 87-83 overtime loss at Bowling Green on Jan. 8. Senior guard Mekhi Lairy poured in a career-high 28 points, while Grant chipped in 23 points in Miami’s 91-81 MAC-opening win at Buffalo on Dec. 29.

CENTURY CLUB: Senior guard Mekhi Lairy became the latest member of Miami’s Century Club, playing in his 100th career game at Bowling Green on Jan. 8. Lairy has now played in 101 career games and joins three other active RedHawk players who have played in 100+ games. Forward Precious Ayah and senior guard Isaiah Coleman-Lands played in their 100th career games against Cincinnati on Dec. 1 and now have each played in 107 career games, while senior forward Dalonte Brown owns the career record for games played (132). 

HIGH PERCENTAGES: Senior forward Precious Ayah leads the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting a scorching 72.5 percent from the floor, while senior guard Mekhi Lairy ranks second in free throw percentage (.912) and junior guard Dae Dae Grant ranks fifth (.857). Junior guard  Myja White ties for third in the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc. 

GRANT RANKS 20TH NATIONALLY: Junior guard Dae Dae Grant leads the MAC and ranks 20th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.81). The RedHawks rank 26th nationally in the category as a team (1.43). Senior guard Mekhi Lairy is at 1.59 for assist/turnover ratio to rank sixth in the MAC.

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 125 career starts and 132 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: 125 (1st, set record Dec. 4)
• Games Played: 132 (1st, set record Dec. 14)
• 3-Point FG: 176 (7th, 1 away from No. 6)
• Rebounds: 770 (10th, 12 from No. 9)
• Scoring: 1,409 (13th, 1 from No. 12, 2 from No. 11)

1,000 POINT WATCH: Entering the RedHawks’ next game with 955 career points, senior guard Mekhi Lairy is closing in on becoming the 38th member of the 1,000 Point Club. Lairy is currently averaging 14.2 ppg and would reach the milestone in mid-January at his current pace.

ODDS ‘N ENDS

• 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.
• Miami ranks among the top three in the MAC in 14 statistical categories, leading the league in four categories: assist/turnover ratio, 3-point field goals per game, and fewest turnovers and turnovers per game. 
• Miami ranks among the top 20 nationally in two statistical categories, including ranking 10th in turnovers per game and 15th in fewest turnovers.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS