1/22/2022

OXFORD, Ohio—Senior Dalonte Brown’s three-pointer with 0.8 seconds remaining in overtime gave the Miami University men’s basketball team (9-8, 3-3 MAC) a dramatic 85-82 win over Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall. Brown, who poured in a team-high 24 points, sent the contest to extra time, connecting on a triple with 11 seconds remaining in regulation to help down the Huskies (5-10, 2-3 MAC).

Mekhi Lairy added 21 points in the game, giving Lairy exactly 1,000 points for his career. Dae Dae Grant had 18 points for the RedHawks, who trailed Northern Illinois 59-44 with less than nine minutes remaining in regulation before mounting a spirited comeback to force the extra session.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Miami notched a quick 5-3 advantage, but the Huskies used a 13-2 surge to capture a 21-9 lead by the 11:09 mark of the opening half.
• Using a 6-0 spurt that included a pair of free throws each from Dae Dae Grant and Precious Ayah and jumper from Myja White, Miami closed within 31-27 with 2:19 to go in the half.
• NIU closed the first half scoring six unanswered points to carry a 37-27 lead into the half.
• After the Huskies again pushed their lead to 12 points, back-to-back triples from Mekhi Lairy and Isaiah Coleman-Lands closed the gap with 13:14 to go, 43-37.
• NIU took its largest lead of the game at the 8:53 mark of the second half, 59-44, but Miami was able to evaporate it over the final stretch of regulation.
• Miami chiseled away and was able to close within four with just under a minute to go after Grant drained a triple and a pair of free throws, 71-67. Miami continued to apply pressure and a Brown triple with 11 seconds remaining knotted the game, 74-74, sending the game into overtime.
• Lairy scored his 1,000th career point with 39 seconds remaining to hand Miami an 82-79 lead in overtime.
• NIU tied it up 12 seconds later, but Brown’s triple with 0.8 seconds remaining gave the Red and White the victory.

NOTES:

• Brown pulled down five rebounds in the opening half, moving him into ninth on Miami’s career list. He finished with seven and owns 785 career boards.
• Brown paced the RedHawks with 24 points, 20 coming in the second half/overtime. Lairy added 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting and Grant chipped in with 18 points and seven boards.
• Ayah collected three blocked shots and has blocked 12 shots over the last four games.
• Lairy becomes the 38th player in program history to amass 1,000 career points.
• This was the RedHawks’ second overtime game of the season. Miami moves to 77-53 all-time in overtime games.

UP NEXT:
Miami hits the road for a 7 p.m. game at Ball State on Tuesday, Jan 25.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS