2/19/2022

DeKALB, Ill.—Another dramatic finish punctuated a back-and-forth battle in the second match-up between the Miami University men’s basketball team and Northern Illinois University on Saturday afternoon at the NIU Convocation Center. Dae Dae Grant drained a pair of free throws with eight seconds left to lift Miami to a one-point edge. Precious Ayah collected a critical defensive rebound and sank the ensuing free throws after a quick NIU foul with four seconds left to secure an important 78-75 road win for the RedHawks (12-14; 6-9 Mid-American Conference) against the Huskies (8-17; 5-10 MAC).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Miami’s forwards lifted Miami to an early 14-7 lead with Ayah contributing six points, Dalonte Brown tallying five and James Beck chipping in three.
• The Huskies fired back with a 16-5 run to notch a 23-19 lead by the 7:20 mark, NIU’s first lead of the game. Marr Avance scored five straight for the RedHawks to put Miami back on top, 24-23.
• NIU came back to take the lead and pushed its advantage to 38-32 with 1:26 to go, but Elijah McNamara closed out the half with five unanswered points for the RedHawks to put Miami with one going into the intermission, 38-37.
• The teams went back and forth throughout the second half. Miami led by as many as four several times over the final 20 minutes.
• Trailing three with less than three minutes to go, Grant tossed in a layup to shrink the NIU lead. He then came up with a steal, which led to a Myja White triple to hand Miami a 72-70 lead.
• NIU took a 75-74 lead with 23 seconds left but was not able to complete the three-point play, missing the free throw and Grant coming down with the defensive rebound.
• Miami went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line over the final eight seconds to clinch a hard-fought win.

 
NOTES:

• Grant led all players with 19 points and added four assists.
• Brown followed with 17 points, and a game-high-tying eight rebounds. Brown has eclipsed 800 rebounds for his career and has 802 to rank sixth all-time at Miami.
• Ayah was the other RedHawk to score in double figures with 12 points.
• Both teams shot 50 percent or better in both halves. Miami finished the game shooting 51.9 percent, while NIU hit 50.9 of its field goals.

 
UP NEXT:
Miami returns home for a pair of mid-week games next week, hosting Buffalo at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22 before entertaining Central Michigan at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 24.

COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS