Sports
Ohio Men’s Basketball struggles to keep pace with No. 23 Miami in hostile environment
By: Andrew Bowlby
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OXFORD, Ohio (WOUB) – There are few rivalries in the Mid-American Conference that are on the level of the Battle of the Bricks.
And Friday night in Oxford, the rivals met for the 217th time with some of the highest stakes the rivalry has ever seen. No. 23 Miami (25-0, 12-0 MAC) kept their undefeated streak in tact with a 90-74 victory over Ohio (13-13, 7-6 MAC).
The RedHawks welcomed a record crowd that made everything difficult for the Bobcats.
Ohio did score the first points of the game with JJ Kelly connecting on a mid-range jumper. But that 2-0 lead would be the only one the Bobcats would see.
Eian Elmer answered with five of Miami’s first seven points with makes in the paint and from deep.
Jackson Paveletzke and Luke Skaljac traded made threes evening the game at 10 a few minutes in.
Aidan Hadaway also got into foul trouble picking up three before the break. Boals says his foul trouble changed the game.
“What’s a foul, what’s not a foul?” Boals said. “I thought Hadaway’s third foul was not a good call. I think that changed the complexation for him.”
Brant Byers converted an and-one late in the half putting Miami ahead by 10 at 38-28. Ohio did respond with a made three from Ajay Sheldon cutting the halftime deficit to 43-35.
Miami shot over 50% from the field and 40% from three in the opening 20 minutes. Their efficiency has been stellar all season and it was once again evident.
Boals noted that the defensive effort was not good enough to be able to beat the RedHawks.
Despite trailing by just eight points at halftime, it felt like Ohio was down by more.
Miami got five free throws to start the second all from Byers. He ended up shooting 16 from the charity stripe, making 13 of them.
The RedHawks 9-4 run to start the second half forced a timeout of Boals and was a signal of the beginning of the end.
Ohio’s defense was struggling in the second half and the RedHawks took full advantage. They found easy buckets in the paint and kept knocking down triples to extend the lead.
Miami pulled ahead by 20 at one point and just held Ohio down hanging on to win a 29th-straight home game setting a school record.
“It’s a phenomenal atmosphere. I thought they did pretty good,” Boals said on his team’s ability to handle the crowd. “Obviously they deserve it. I think Travis [Steele] has done a great job. Everyone talks about the lack of non-conference schedule, but they won those games.”
Ohio now falls to 7-6 in conference play, and although the Bobcats are comfortably in the conference tournament, there are many questions regarding the end of the season.
Things will get a little easier with Ohio welcoming in Ball State to the Convo on Tuesday. But the Bobcats still have to face Toledo, UMass and Miami before the regular season ends.
Ohio faces the Cardinals at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ on Tuesday night.