RedHawks win Sixth Straight on the Road at NIU 84-69
The Miami RedHawks continued their undefeated run, winning their sixth straight game. This time, they went on the road to take down Northern Illinois 84-69 to improve to 12-4 on the season (4-0 MAC).
The Huskies effectively limited the impact from fourth best scorer in the conference, Kam Craft, holding him to just three points. However, five other RedHawks reached double-digits, with Brant Byers leading the way with 17. The redshirt freshman is averaging 7.1 points per contest, and has scored more than 14 in three of the last four games.
Antwone Woolfolk continued to be a force in the paint, scoring 12 points almost exclusively in the post. The former Rutgers big man added eight boards, a tally he has reached seven times this season. Eian Elmer, Mekhi Cooper and Peter Suder also reached the ten-point mark, combining for 39 points on 44% shooting from the field.
The RedHawks fell into an early deficit before Byers connected on his first three of the day to give the RedHawks a slim 13-11 advantage early in the first half. Three minutes later, he did it again, extending Miami’s lead to seven from beyond the arc. Quentin Jones connected on a triple of his own to bring the Huskies within striking distance. Not to be outdone, Miami rode the hot hand one more time, finding Byers for his third three to keep NIU in a three-possession deficit.
The Huskies fought back to defend their home floor, taking the lead at the midway point of the first half behind a triple from Tsvet Sotirov to make it 34-31. Miami responded by going on a 10-0 run bookended by a coast-to-coast steal and layup from Cooper. That would be the last time the Huskies would lead, as Miami kept their advantage throughout the rest of the half, going into the break with a 48-42 lead.
NIU was in position to retake the lead, cutting the RedHawk lead to just one after six minutes in the second, but Miami responded again, rattling off six straight points in three minutes to regain their advantage. An 8-0 run followed from Miami, giving them their first double digit lead of the night after yet another Byers triple. From there, the RedHawks maintained control, keeping the lead at double digits for the rest of the second half en route to the 15-point victory.
Chasing History
Coach Travis Steele’s team has eclipsed the 80-point mark in each of their last six wins, and have thrust themselves into postseason contention behind an electric offense that, statistically, few groups in the country can match up to. Among all DI NCAA schools, Miami ranks #25 nationally in points per game (83.6), and ranks 12th in field goal percentage (49.9%)
As things stand, this would be the best offensive season in program history, eclipsing the 1952-1953 team’s mark of 83.3 points per contest. That season, Miami went 17-6 and played DePaul in the NCAA Tournament, losing by two. In every season that Miami’s scored 80 or more points a night (five seasons), they’ve had a record above .500, and have gone to the big dance twice.
The formula that has led to this level of success has been easy to see. Miami leads the MAC, and is #6 in the country in three-point percentage (40.6%), with Skaljac, Byers and Craft ranking at one, two and three among individual players in that statistic. Additionally, the RedHawks have the best turnover margin in the conference (+4.44) and the second most assists (16.38).
Their toughest opponents still loom large on the schedule, but if they continue to play at the level that they are, there are few teams that can match up with their high-scoring offensive output.
Depth and Defense
It’s pretty simple math, if you prevent a team from scoring at a high rate, you’re more likely to win the game. The RedHawks did just that on Tuesday night, holding their sixth team this season to a field goal percentage under 40. In those games, Miami is 6-0, and in games where their opponents shoot under 30% from beyond the arc, they are 4-0. The Huskies fell into the first category, making just 39% of their shots. They were, however, slightly better from three (33%).
Part of the contributing reason for their defensive prowess this season is their bench play. Guards Evan Ipsaro and Luke Skaljac have combined for 27 steals on the season, making sure that the defense doesn’t drop off when the starters need a rest. Reece Potter is continuing to grow into a force on the interior too, registering nine blocks, which ranks him #3 on the team.
The offensive impact off the bench has been stellar too. As stated above, Brant Byers has grown into a key part of the offensive attack, and he’s not alone. Reece Potter’s range and passing ability from the paint have led to Miami getting some easy looks at the rim, and allowed them to spread the floor. So far this season, the RedHawk bench is averaging 27.5 points per night, scoring more than 30% of the team's points this season.
Up Next
The RedHawks will face their toughest MAC opponent to date in their next game. Steele’s team will travel north to face the Kent State Golden Flashes in a battle for control of the conference. Kent State is currently 11-4 on the season (2-1 MAC), but is coming off a nine-point loss to Western Michigan. The Broncos were not as lucky against Miami, losing by 20 at Millett a fortnight ago.
The matchup between the RedHawks and Golden Flashes will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. from Kent State’s Convention Center, and will be streamed on ESPN+.