Miami RedHawks Fall To OU Bobcats 75-66

BY CHRIS VINEL
Miami University journalism student

The Miami RedHawks (15-16, 8-10) failed to send their seniors out with a win on Senior Night, falling to the Ohio Bobcats 75-66 at Millett Hall on Friday

“I thought we started the game out OK,” Miami head coach Jack Owens said. “But we did not execute in the second half the way we needed to to win the game.

MU’s only seniors, forwards Rod Mills and Logan McLane, were both in the starting lineup for Senior Night. It was Mills’ first start of the season.

“They’ve meant a lot to our team,” freshman guard Nike Sibande said, “being seniors, head guys, giving us advice, especially the young guys coming in, giving us tips and talking us through stuff that we’ve never been through before.”

Miami Director of Broadcasting and “Voice of the RedHawks” Steve Baker emphasized how important the seniors have been to the revitalization of Miami’s basketball program.

“I think, honestly, if you asked them both, they would say they haven’t had the careers they wanted at least as the most success as they wanted,” Baker said. “But they have been a key cog in this program turning around.”

Dartis made a difference

The Bobcats (14-16, 7-11 MAC) won the opening tip-off and scored the first five points of the game on a mid-range jumper by senior guard Mike Laster and then a three-pointer from junior guard Jordan Dartis.

The Red and White opened up their scoring with a McLane layup just over two minutes into the game. After surrendering an OU layup, the RedHawks battled back, taking the lead with a 6-0 run to make it 8-7.

The two teams traded the lead nine times in a first half that also featured eight ties. The biggest advantage for either team was five. Ohio held a five-point lead less than two minutes into the game with a score of 7-2. Miami held two five-point leads, first at 30-25 with five minutes remaining in the half, and then again, 35-30, in the period’s final minute. The ‘Hawks were up 35-32 at halftime.

Laster kicked off the second-half scoring with a layup, cutting Ohio’s deficit to one. Miami responded on its ensuing possession with a triple from sophomore forward Bam Bowman, bumping the RedHawks’ advantage to 38-34.

A three from Dartis gave the Bobcats took their first lead since the 7:14 mark in the first half. After draining one trey in the first, Dartis caught fire in the second, making four of his five second-half three-point attempts.

“Dartis really hurt us,” Owens said. “When they went on that [13-1] run, he made some big-time plays.”

Sibande: 'Didn't execute'

With the RedHawks leading 51-48, Dartis led Ohio on a 13-1 stretch that put the Bobcats ahead 61-52 with under nine minutes to play. Miami didn’t recover, never again pulling within less than four points of the lead. Ohio outscored the RedHawks 8-3 in the final three minutes of the contest to solidify a 75-66 win.

“In the second half, we didn’t execute our plays how we wanted to,” Sibande said. “We played hard. We played tough, but we just couldn’t execute and finish.”

Sibande notched a career-high 23 points, while freshman forward Dalonte Brown recorded a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double.

Laster and Dartis scored 22 and 21 points, respectively, to lead the Bobcats. Junior forward Doug Taylor corralled a team-high nine rebounds.

Miami now turns its attention to the Mid-American Conference tournament.

“It’s still a tournament that, I believe, anybody can win,” Baker said. “I can’t remember a year that it’s been this wide-open.

The RedHawks will host a first-round contest against Ohio University on Monday, with a tip-off time of 7 p.m. at Millett Hall.

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Chris Vinel covers RedHawks basketball for The Miami Student.

Top photo: Miami guard Darrian Ringo, a junior from Brownsburg, Indiana, put up 4 points for the night. -- Photo by Scott Kissell, Miami University