Miami defeats OU without Coles

Ben Garbarek

Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Sports

Junior guard Michael Bramos rises up for a jumpshot Saturday night against Ohio. Bramos had more points than the entire Bobcat lineup for three-fourths of the game.

A week removed from a pair of disappointing losses, the Miami University men's basketball team entered the latest installment of the Battle of the Bricks against Ohio University with more than just a rivalry at stake.

"Miami, OU, we know what (the rivalry) is," said associate head coach Jermaine Henderson. "We don't like each other."

Jockeying for a top seed and first round bye in the upcoming MAC Tournament, the RedHawks looked to silence their own doubts while squaring off against Ohio.

Despite the adage that sports fans only need to watch the second half of a basketball game to understand that particular contest, in this case, those who missed the first half missed the game.

Miami built an insurmountable lead during the opening half to tame the Bobcats 73-49 at Millett Hall. The win improves the RedHawks to 14-13, moving them into a third-place tie with Ohio at 8-6 in the MAC East.

"We call it 'Miami magic,'" said Henderson, who filled in for head coach Charlie Coles. "Something in our air here at Millett. Our kids could feel it and the kids responded and played really well."

The RedHawks cast a spell on the Bobcats, limiting them to a dreadful 14 first-half points.

The Battle of the Bricks usually refers to the color of stone used in construction at both universities, but on Saturday it could have referred to Ohio's shooting-the Bobcats resembled masons, shooting 19 percent from the field during the first half.

"What can you say?" said Ohio head coach Tim O'Shea. "It was a rough night for us offensively. It's hard to imagine a worse first half … it's like the basket had a lid on it. We were completely inept (offensively). We couldn't put it in the basket during the first half and that set the tone for the rest of the game."

While the Bobcats could not buy a bucket, the basket was wide open for the Red and White. Miami shot 57 percent from the field and connected on 50 percent of its three-point tries.

Junior forward Michael Bramos dominated the opening minutes, scoring Miami's first nine points. He single-handedly outscored Ohio in the first half with 19 points on six of nine shooting. Bramos finished the night with 31 points, his fourth 30-point effort of the season.

Page 1 of 2 next >