OXFORD, Ohio— Mekhi Lairy and Anderson Mirambeaux each put up a double-double to lead the Miami University men’s basketball team to a 91-80 win over Buffalo Tuesday night at Millett Hall. Lairy finished the night with a game-high 20 points and 11 assists, while Mirambeaux put up 18 points with 11 boards. Ryan Mabrey added 15 points for Miami (7-9, 1-2 MAC), and Kamari Williams poured in 14 of his own. Yazid Powell led Buffalo (8-9, 2-1 MAC) with 20 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Lairy knocked down a pair of three-point jump shots to bring the RedHawks within one at 7-6. A Jaquel Morris layup gave Miami their first lead of the game at 8-7. Buffalo went on to reclaim the lead and take a five-point advantage at 13-8. The Red and White tied the game at 18-18 after Williams and Mabrey each made a shot from beyond the arc midway through the first half.
- In a back-and-forth start, both teams combined for six lead changes. Miami took their largest lead of the half at 34-25. The Bulls then went on a 9-3 run, leaving the Red and White with a 37-34 lead entering the intermission.
- A pair of layups from Mirambeaux and two free throws from Williams gave the RedHawks a boost coming out of halftime. The Bulls stayed resilient, coming within two at 43-41. Miami responded by going on a 7-0 run to extend their lead 50-41. Buffalo once again came within two points at 52-50. Morgan Safford scored on back-to-back possessions to stretch the lead to 57-52 with 12:50 to play.
- The Bulls fought their way back once again, tying the game at 59-59. Shortly after, Mabrey buried his fifth triple of the game to give the RedHawks a 69-61 lead. Buffalo followed this up by making their final push, trailing by only four points at 72-68 with 5:48 left on the game clock. Ultimately, Miami finished the game by outscoring the Bulls 17-8 to win 89-76.
NOTES
- Lairy moved into 10th place on the program’s career scoring list (1,471 points).
- Mabrey buried a career-high five three-pointers.
- Lairy dished out a career-high 11 assists and matched his career-high with seven rebounds.
- Miami shot 51.7% from the field, 40.7% from beyond the arc and 85.7% at the foul line.
UP NEXT:
Miami continues conference play against Ball State this Saturday, Jan. 14. Tip time is set for 2 p.m. in Muncie, Ind.
COURTESY MIAMI ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
