MIAMI BASKETBALL

Beware: Bulls on the loose? UB still dangerous

Miami win would seal  tourney No. 2 seed

After falling at Ohio Saturday, the Miami RedHawks would like to gather some positive momentum over their final two regular season contests. Given its record, Buffalo might seem to be a relatively easy mark. 
Buffalo hosts MU Tuesday. The Bulls are 9-20 overall and 4-12 in league play. They are, however, still dangerous. 
The Bulls had lost four straight and eight of their last nine before pinning an 87-74 loss on Toledo Saturday. 

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 • Buffalo was particularly impressive on offense, connecting on 62.5 percent overall and 56.5 percent beyond the arc. 
 • Tyson Dunn led the way with 26 points. Two other Bulls hit every shot they took!
Bryson Wilson (20 points) went 8 for 8 from the field, 3 for 3 on treys and 1 for 1 at the line. Ben Michaels (14 points) hit all six from the field, including two triples. 
 • Not only are the Bulls are in 11th place and already out of the eight-team tournament field, their last two games are against second place Miami and MAC-leading Akron. 
 • Tuesday will mark the 58th time Miami and Buffalo have faced off. The RedHawks head into  this game leading the series 30-27. Buffalo has the advantage at home in the series, 15-12. The last time Miami faced off with  the Bulls, the Red and White secured a 93-79 win to open conference play in Oxford on Jan. 4.
 • Kam Craft (20) led five RedHawks in double figures against UB

 •  Out of the 29  games Miami has played, there have also been ten different players who have led the team in scoring. Brant Byers scored 18 points, going 6 for 6 from the field -- all beyond the arc. 
Overall, MU had four more field goals, including a 17-10 advantage from long distance. 
So far this season, Miami ranks among conference leaders in multiple statistical 
categories:
 • Kam Craft is 19th in the MAC with 13.3 points per game, ranks sixth in three-point field goal  percentage (.413) and has knocked down 2.6 threes per game (third in MAC)
 • Mekhi Cooper is tied for eighth in the conference with 1.4 steals per game and is also tied for  15th in assists per game (2.9)
 • Eian Elmer is eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.402), seventh in steals per game (1.5)  and is ninth in blocked shots per game (0.8)
 • Luke Sklajac is first (.443) and Brant Byers is fourth (.420) in the MAC for three-point field goal  percentage.
 • Peter Suder is tied 16th overall in the MAC for scoring (13.7), 11th in field goal percentage (.498),  tied for eighth in steals per game (1.4) and eighth in assists per game (3.5)
 • Antwone Woolfolk is first overall in the MAC with a .630 field goal percentage, eighth in blocks  per game (0.9) and he is also 13th in the conference for his rebounding each game (5.5

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Miami needs to pack its defense for the trip. No team can afford to let an opponent shoot 62.5 percent from the field. Toledo did, and it paid the price. 
One way to force UB into more difficult shots is to cut down on damage in the paint. Miami was out-scored 42-30 in the paint at Ohio. 
Another general area of attention is turnovers. Ohio owned a 14-5 edge in points off turnovers. Beyond that, however, several untimely turnovers bogged down some RedHawk rallies as Miami attempted to reel in the Bobcats. 

Charts courtesy of MU Athletics