MIAMI BASKETBALL

WMU vs MU Postgame Notes/Quotes

Jaquel Morris reinjured an ankle in early first half action and did not return. His absence against a big WMU lineup added to Miami's challenges. (MVSmith/MRO)

By MIKE SMITH
-- Miami now hits the road for two straight games. The RedHawks are at Toledo Friday night (7 p.m. ET) and face Buffalo Tuesday (7 p.m. ET). The next home tilt is Saturday, Jan. 13 against Eastern Michigan (1 p.m. ET).
-- On a night when MU needed all the big men it could get, the team's second-leading rebounder played less then three minutes. "It didn't help," Steele said. He noted Morris, a 6-8 sophomore center, injured an ankle in practice and aggravated it early in Tuesday's game. "I think he'll be fine," Steele said. "Hopefully, we can just ice him up. He'll probably just need a day off."
-- The whistles got a workout Tuesday, with Miami drawing 24 fouls and WMU 26. However, only one player from each team fouled out. MU lost Hunter, who managed to play 32:19. Titus Wright fouled out in the final minute despite playing just 15:55. 
Miami's Mirambeaux made it to . . .

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Reece Potter boxes out a Bronco player. (MVSmith/MRO)

. . . the end and was a key contributor to the RedHawks second half push. However, after recording just one first half foul, he picked up a fourth foul with 13:05 left in the second half. That sent him to the bench for a while and likely limited his defensive options even after returning. 
-- With Morris out, the RedHawks used freshman center Reece Potter for a total of 14:25. He scored eight points, including a 3-point goal and grabbed one rebound against a big and experienced Bronco lineup. 
"I thought Reece did some good things," Steele said. "He's still continuing to get more comfortable (and confident) out there. ... I think he's really starting to head in the right direction." 
-- Tuesday was something of a "Welcome to MAC play" night for Miami's freshman contingent. "They're big. They're physical. They play hard," Steele said if the Broncos. "I think they were tougher. We did not handle adversity very well tonight, whether it was individually (or) as a team."
-- Rebounding and free throw issues were again to be an issue for MU. "It's been an Achilles heel for us to this point," Steele said.
The Broncos outrebounded Miami 40-27, had a 20-3 advantage in second chance points and edged Miami 38-28 in the paint. 
Last year's RedHawks connected on 78.7 percent from the line. This year's squad has converted 68.3 percent  overall and made must 60 percent (21 of 35) against Western Michigan.

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