TUESDAY’S GAME: Miami returns home for a two-game home stretch this week, beginning with a Battle of the Bricks match-up with Ohio University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

ABOUT OHIO: The Bobcats have won their last eight games and enter Tuesday’s contest with a 13-2 overall record and 4-0 Mid-American Conference mark. Mark Sears paces Ohio in scoring, averaging 19.7 ppg and averages 5.0 rpg and 3.4 apg. Jason Carter averages 14.5 ppg and a team-leading 7.2 rpg and 1.3 bpg. Ben Vander Plas is the other Bobcat averaging double figures in scoring at 12.1 ppg and adds 6.5 rpg.

THE SERIES WITH THE BOBCATS: Saturday marks the 209th meeting between Miami and Ohio with the Bobcats holding a 114-94 advantage in the series. When playing in Oxford, Miami is 63-37 against Ohio. The Bobcats have won the last four meetings between the teams, including a 78-61 decision in Athens last year on Jan. 12 and a 67-65 win in Millett Hall on Jan. 6, 2020. Miami’s last win in the series also was its last win against the Bobcats in Oxford, a 79-59 triumph on Feb. 9, 2019.

UP NEXT: Miami hosts Northern Illinois at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22 in the second game of a doubleheader at Millett Hall with the Miami women’s basketball team hosting Western Michigan at 1 p.m.

TELEVISION: Tuesday’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)

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 ranks second in the MAC in blocks per game on the season (1.47) and first in conference-only games (2.75). 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 16.7 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 15 games this season, he is at 63 assists.

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 102 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 108 career games, while senior forward Dalonte Brown owns the career record for games played (133). 

HIGH PERCENTAGES: Senior forward Precious Ayah leads the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting a scorching 72.4 percent from the floor, while senior guard Mekhi Lairy ranks second in free throw percentage (.921) and junior guard Dae Dae Grant ranks fourth (.872). Junior guard Myja White ranks fourth in the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 43.9 percent from beyond the arc. 

GRANT RANKS 19TH NATIONALLY: Junior guard Dae Dae Grant leads the MAC and ranks 19th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.86). The RedHawks rank 23rd nationally in the category as a team (1.43). Senior guard Mekhi Lairy is at 1.69 for assist/turnover ratio to rank fifth 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 126 career starts and 133 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: 126 (1st, set record Dec. 4)
• Games Played: 133 (1st, set record Dec. 14)
• 3-Point FG: 178 (6th, 8 away from No. 5)
• Rebounds: 775 (10th, 7 from No. 9)
• Scoring: 1,414 (11th, 35 from No. 10)

1,000 POINT WATCH: Entering the RedHawks’ next game with 970 career points, senior guard Mekhi Lairy is closing in on becoming the 38th member of the 1,000 Point Club. Lairy is currently averaging 14.3 ppg and would reach the milestone in mid-January at his current pace.

ODDS ‘N ENDS

• Senior guard Mekhi Lairy has made 23 consecutive free throws, dating 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.
• Miami ranks among the top three in the MAC in 16 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 25 nationally in four statistical categories, including ranking ninth in turnovers per game, 12th in fewest turnovers, 15th in free throw percentage and 23rd in assist/turnover ratio.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS