Miami picks up Road Win vs. Bowling Green
By: Jack Mueller
The Miami RedHawks took a giant step towards the MAC Tournament, defeating Bowling Green on the road 66-58. The RedHawks are now 8-7 in conference play, good enough for the fifth seed in the tournament as things stand.
Miami head coach Travis Steele has said all season that it’s “different guys on different nights” in terms of scoring for his RedHawks, and Tuesday was no different. After being held to just three on Saturday against Central Michigan, Darweshi Hunter dropped 20 points, his highest scoring output in nearly a month.
After going down six with 12 minutes on the clock, the RedHawks went on an 18-4 run over the next five minutes, highlighted by a Hunter three to give Miami an eight point lead. Anderson Mirambeaux registered eight points during that run, connecting on back to back threes to swing momentum in Miami’s favor. Mirambeaux would end with 11 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
Miami’s team defense was stellar for all 40 minutes. The RedHawks’ 58 points allowed is their lowest since January 13th, and a far cry from the previous matchup between the two teams where they allowed 78. Bowling Green could only manage a 32% shooting percentage, and connected on just 21% of shots from behind the arc.
It was clear that Bowling Green wanted to play through their star big, Rashaun Agee, but Miami were able to keep him from dominating. Agee put together a solid game, registering a double-double with 20 points and 14 assists, but was smothered nearly every time he got the ball in the paint. The RedHawks blocked nine shots, indicative of the pressure they put on the Falcons in the paint. Eian Elmer was the key defensive presence for the ‘Hawks, as despite only putting up a single point, he blocked four shots and nabbed two steals.
Neither team was able to assert themselves in the first half. Bowling Green went into the break with a slender three point lead at 28-25, but both teams had offensive troubles. The two sides combined for 31% shooting in the first period, and while Miami would improve in the second half, Bowling Green could not.
Despite the Falcons shooting struggles, they were still within one possession with just over a minute left. Back to back buckets by Marcus Hill and DaJion Humphrey kept Bowling Green within reach. With Miami leading 60-58, Bradley Dean connected on a smooth bounce pass to a driving Ipsaro, who was fouled and sent to the line to give Miami a two possession lead they would not relinquish.
The RedHawks will head north to take on Eastern Michigan on Saturday, hoping for a repeat of the first matchup between the sides. The RedHawks dominated EMU at Millett in January, coming away with a 71-54 victory. A win would all but cement Miami’s place as the fifth seed in the MAC tournament, while a loss could drop them as far down as the eighth seed.