Recap: Miami men’s basketball escapes game with narrow victory against Mercyhurst

Returning to Oxford after its third win of the season, the Miami University men's basketball team (4-0) defended home court in a close game against the Mercyhurst University Lakers (3-2). The RedHawks won their fourth-straight game 76-71 on Nov. 20.

The RedHawks played without senior guard Peter Suder, last season’s leading scorer. Miami missed his presence on the court; the team shot 22-49 (44.9%) from the field and 6-22 (27.3%) on 3-pointers.

In the first half, junior forward Almar Atlason led the scoring with nine points. Senior forward Antwone Woolfolk and sophomore wing Brant Byer brought down three rebounds each, and the RedHawks totaled 14 at the half. Junior guard Evan Ipsaro’s three assists helped to spark the first half offense as well.

Sophomore guard Jake Lemelman tallied 10 points in the first frame as he led the way for the Lakers. Sophomore forward Qadir Martin dominated the boards with six rebounds. At the end of the half, Mercyhurst won the rebound battle 20-14.

For Miami, the depth of talent was on full display. Seven RedHawks saw at least one shot fall through the rim as Miami scored 37 points at the half. The Lakers saw less success on the offensive end, shooting 10-31 and totalling 29 points before the midway buzzer.

In the second half, Mercyhurst continued to challenge the RedHawks by closing the gap, taking one point lead on two separate occasions.

The RedHawks showed resolve as Atlason finished the game with 16 points, leading the roster. Ipsaro stepped up down the stretch, shooting 10-11 from the charity stripe. His 14 points, four assists and four rebounds helped carry Miami to victory. Woolfork continued to dominate in the paint, finishing with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Mercyhurst had four starters scoring in double figures. Lemelman and graduate student guard Bernie Blunt III led the way with 15 points each. Martin finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Miami managed to reduce the rebounding deficit, but the Lakers finished with 32 to the RedHawks’ 30.

Miami took the lead back in the last five minutes, ultimately controlling the rest of the contest. At the final buzzer, the RedHawks held a five-point advantage and extended their undefeated season to four games.

Without Suder, head coach Travis Steele praised the depth of his team.

“You know, I always say we have strength in numbers here.” Steele said. “We have more than five starters and we can do a lot of different things. Our team is super connected, and guys like [Atlason] fit right in. There will be a lot of guys playing a lot of minutes for us. That is the key to being successful.”

Miami will have less than three days to prepare for its next matchup. The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions roll into town on Nov. 23 for a 1 p.m. tipoff at Millett Hall.