Recap: Ipsaro leads Miami men’s basketball past Golden Dragons

The Miami University men’s basketball team (5-0) defended home court against the University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Dragons (0-8), winning with a score of 111-84 on Nov. 23.

The RedHawks started slow with just one successful field goal in the first four minutes of game time. They followed this with a 13-0 run over two minutes of action. The RedHawks took their first lead of the game with a trio of free throws by junior forward Almar Atlason. This is a lead the RedHawks would not relinquish.

At the half, Miami held the lead of 56-36. The RedHawks shot 46% from beyond the arc and made 18 free throws in the first 20 minutes. Senior forward Antwone Woolfolk led the way with 10 points and five rebounds. Atlason contributed nine points before the next 20 minutes, and the team scored 26 points off the bench.

The second half saw the two teams exchanging buckets. Neither team went on a long run, and the RedHawk lead was never threatened. Their advantage stayed above 17 points for the duration of the game.

Balance was the theme of the day for the RedHawks. Five players scored in double figures, with nine tallying at least one assist. Senior guard Evan Ipsaro was the leading scorer with 20, a career high. He did a majority of his damage in the second half, with 12 points. Woolfolk had 14 points and shot 6 of 8 from the field, and senior guard Peter Suder added 17 points.

“We have more than 10 guys I’d say I feel comfortable playing in a rotation right now,” head coach Travis Steele said. “We’re going to use that depth for our pace of play and how hard we play. It gives us a chance to be really good.”

The Golden Dragons were led by senior forward Jaquan Scott, who tallied a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Arkansas Pine-Bluff was in foul trouble early and often Sunday afternoon. The team committed 24 fouls and sent Miami to the free throw line 32 times, making 28 of them.

Their 111 points is the second-most for the RedHawks in a game this season and the most scored against a Division I opponent since 2021-22 against Lamar University. This is the first time Miami has scored more than 100 points against a Division I opponent under Steele.

With the win, the RedHawks improved to 4-0 at Millett Hall this season and 5-0 overall. This victory marks the 19th straight home win for Miami, dating back to last season.

The RedHawks will return to action on Nov. 26 against the University of North Carolina Greensboro in Jacksonville, Florida.

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