1/21/2022

SATURDAY’S GAME: Miami continues a two-game home stint, hosting Northern Illinois University at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22 in the second game of a Miami Basketball doubleheader with the RedHawk women’s team facing Western Michigan University at 1 p.m. 

ABOUT NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies enter Saturday’s game with a 5-9 record and a 2-2 Mid-American Conference mark. They have won two of their last three but are coming off a 93-83 loss to Bowling Green on Tuesday. Keshawn Williams paces the team at 14.8 ppg, while Trendon Hankerson is the other Huskie averaging double figures in scoring at 10.6 ppg. Anthony Crump leads NIU on the boards at 4.4 rpg.

THE SERIES WITH THE HUSKIES: Saturday marks the 54th meeting between Miami and Northern Illinois with the RedHawks holding a 35-18 series lead and has won the last three meetings between the teams. When playing in Oxford, Miami is 24-4 against the Huskies. Miami captured both meetings last year: a 69-64 triumph in DeKalb on Feb. 20, 2021 in the last meeting and a 70-58 win in Millett Hall on Jan. 9, 2021 in the last meeting in Oxford. The Huskies’ last win in the series came on Feb. 1, 2020 on their home court, 70-55, and their last win in Oxford was on Jan. 8, 2019, 83-70.

UP NEXT: Miami hits the road for a pair of games, starting with a 7 p.m. game at Ball State on Tuesday, Jan. 25. The RedHawks then head to Eastern Michigan for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 29.

TELEVISION: Saturday’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)

SCHEDULE UPDATES: Miami has two previously postponed games moved and another game adjusted. Miami will travel to Akron for a 6:30 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 4 on CBSSN and is now scheduled to host Akron on Sunday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. The RedHawks will entertain Central Michigan on Thursday, Feb. 24.

1,000 POINT WATCH: Entering the RedHawks’ next game with 979 career points, senior guard Mekhi Lairy is closing in on becoming the 38th member of the 1,000 Point Club. Lairy is currently averaging 13.9 ppg and is just 21 points away from the milestone.

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 (1.44) and first in conference-only games (2.40). 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 16.4 ppg, he also leads the team in assists at 4.0 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 16 games this season, he is at 64 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 103 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. Ayah has played in 109 career games, Coleman-Lands has played in 108, and senior forward Dalonte Brown owns the career record for games played (134). 

HIGH PERCENTAGES: Senior forward Precious Ayah leads the MAC in field goal percentage, shooting a scorching 71.9 percent from the floor, while senior guard Mekhi Lairy leads the MAC in free throw percentage (.925) and junior guard Dae Dae Grant ranks fourth (.857). Junior guard Myja White ranks third in the MAC in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 44.2 percent from beyond the arc. 

GRANT RANKS 18TH NATIONALLY: Junior guard Dae Dae Grant leads the MAC and ranks 18th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.78). The RedHawks lead the MAC in the category as a team (1.35). Senior guard Mekhi Lairy is at 1.60 for assist/turnover ratio to rank eighth 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 127 career starts and 134 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: 127 (1st, set record Dec. 4)
• Games Played: 134 (1st, set record Dec. 14)
• 3-Point FG: 179 (6th, 7 away from No. 5)
• Rebounds: 778 (10th, 4 from No. 9)
• Scoring: 1,430 (11th, 29 from No. 10)

ODDS ‘N ENDS

• Senior guard Mekhi Lairy has made 25 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 13 statistical categories, leading the league in five categories: assist/turnover ratio, 3-point field goals per game, free throw percentage, fewest turnovers and turnovers per game. 
• Miami ranks among the top 15 nationally in four statistical categories, including ranking 11th in free throw percentage, 12th in turnovers per game and 13th in fewest turnovers.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS