MIAMI BASKETBALL

Potter-less RedHawks hold off Chippewas

By MIKE SMITH
​MOUNT PLEASANT, MI  -- Peter Suder scored 21 points, while Antwone Woolfolk and Eian Elmer combined for another 22 points (with 17 rebounds) as Miami (9-1 MAC, 17-5 overall) pulled out a 76-70 road win over Central Michigan Tuesday at McGuirk Arena. 

It was the third straight win for MU, which remains in second place among Mid-American Conference teams. The Chippewas, meanwhile, fell to 4-6 MAC, 10-12 overall. 

Reece Potter, Miami's 7-1 sophomore center, typically doesn't start. However, he averages an important 15.8 minutes per game while sharing much of the inside workload with Woolfolk. Potter was injured Saturday and spent Tuesday in street clothes. 

His absence was strategic  a . . . 

---

. . . factor -- particularly as MU tried to limit damage by Chippewas forward Ugnius Jarusevicius. The 6-10 junior is averaging 13.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg. He managed 15 points and eight boards against MU, helping the hosts overcome a poor start to trail by just three at intermission and hold several second half leads. 
Overall, Damarion Bonds led Central Michigan, hitting 5 of 8 3-point attempts on the way to 17 points. Jakobi Heady contributed 16 points. 

Bonds hit back-to-back triples to give CMU its final lead, 47-46 with 13:04 remaining. However, Luke Skaljac answered with a trey of his own. The 6-2 freshman scored nine of his 13 points during a 16-5 RedHawks run that gave MU a double-digit lead (62-52) with 7:16 to go. 

Central Michigan battled back again, tying the contest at 68-68 on another Bonds triple at 3:19. 

While MU was able to reclaim the lead on a pair of Brant Byers free throws, the RedHawks missed three of their next four tosses. That, along with a RedHawk turnover, left the door open. However, a long 3-point attempt by Jarusevicius was well off the mark.

Miami made five of its last six free throws, more than offsetting a final field goal by Kyler VanderJagt with eight seconds left. 

The RedHawks host Troy University on Saturday, (Feb. 8 at 1 p.m.).  Central Michigan will entertain Texas State (Saturday, Feb. 8, 5 p.m.). Both games are part of the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge.

NOTES:
• Elmer played the most minutes of his career (36:44) and brought down a game-high nine rebounds.
• CMU out-rebounded Miami 39-29 and owned a 15-9 edge in offensive rebounds. 
• Both teams shot 21 free throws, and neither fared all that well at the line. MU connected on 13. The Chippewas made 14. 
• Miami totaled two more field goals (27-25) and three more 3-point goals. The RedHawks made 49.1 percent of their shots from the field. 
• Both teams were off target early, but Miami was up 11-2 before Bonds hit CMU's first field goal at 13:29. The RedHawks' largest lead was 24-10 following an Ipsaro triple at 8:33.