• Blog
  • About Us
  • Links
  MAC Reporter Online

McKnight, bench lead Miami past Flames

11/22/2014

0 Comments

 
PictureGeovonie McKnight gets foul late in Saturday's game.
Story and Photos
By MIKE SMITH

OXFORD, Oh – After being hamstrung by a short bench last season, Miami RedHawks head basketball coach John Cooper has been hopeful that his 2014-15 squad will provide some winning depth down the stretch of some close basketball games this year.

While the RedHawks aren’t totally healthy yet, they nonetheless provided a peek of some depth Saturday in a 63-52 win over Liberty at Millett Hall. Miami’s bench outscored the opposition 15-6 on the night. That kind of statistic would have been virtually impossible last year when various issues left MU with few options off the bench.

“We have the potential to get production off the bench,” Miami head coach John Cooper said after Saturday’s victory. “We’ve got some people there, and we’re just figuring it out as we go.”


(CLICK READ MORE TO CONTINUE . . . )
PictureKhalif Wright drives to the hoop.
Saturday’s win was the final contest in a three-game season-opening home stand for MU and the first part of Miami’s participation in the Cancun Challenge. The RedHawks, part of the Riviera Division with Northern Iowa, Northwestern and Virginia Tech, will face Northwestern Tuesday in Cancun Mexico (9:30 p.m.)

Junior guard Geovonie McKnight paced MU with 19 points on 7 of 14 from the field (1 of 2 on treys) and 4 of 6 at the line.

“He played well on both ends of the court,” said Cooper, who noted McKnight was tasked with guarding Liberty forward Thomasz Gielo. “I think (that kind of assignment) gets him locked into the game, and he’s ready to go at the other end.”

Senior Will Sullivan netted 12 points with 3 of 6 from the floor (2 of 3 on treys) and 4 of 4 at the free throw line.

Andrew Smith, a 6-9 senior forward, was 6 of 9 from the field and 1 of 3 at the line for 13 points to lead Liberty. He was the Flame’s only double figure scorer and also contributed seven rebounds. Three other Liberty players, however, chipped in nine points apiece.

As it had in a midweek home loss to Evansville, Miami trailed at the half, with the deficit this time being three points at 27-24. Khalif Wri

Liberty remained in front through most of the first half of the final stanza, but the Flames never could quite shake MU. Their last lead was at 41-40 with 10:34 remaining. F

Two Eric Washington free throws moved Miami in front at 8:25 and started an 8-1 RedHawks run for a 48-42 advantage. McKnight contributed six points and a steal during a stretch when MU inched its way to a 57-49 advantage at 1:01.

Miami’s free throw shooting has been inconsistent, but RedHawk players made nine straight at one point during the final two minutes to put the game away even as Liberty misfired on a number of trey attempts while trying to close the gap. Liberty had hit 21 three-pointers while going 2-1 in its first three games. The Flames, however, finished 3 of 16 (18.8%) from beyond the arc against Miami.

After a 47.8 percent field goal percentage in the first 20 minutes, Liberty dropped off to 28.6 percent (6 of 21) after the break. It was 38.6 percent from the field overall. The visitors made 11 of 15 (73.3%) at the line

Miami hit 10 of 28 (35.7%) from the field in the first half, including 1 of 6 on treys). It jumped to 45.5 percent after intermission as the RedHawks hit 10 of 22. It finished at an even 40 percent (20 of 50)

Miami, which shot just nine free throws against Evansville earlier in the week, made it to the free throw line 25 times against Liberty and connected 15 (60%) thanks to the a relatively good performance in the final two minutes.

Although facing a bigger lineup, Miami worked the boards hard and was rewarded with a 37-29 advantage that included a 12-5 edge of offensive rebounds. Consequently, the RedHawks benefitted from a 15-3 advantage in second chance points.



PictureWill Sullivan lines up a three.
Both teams struggled from the field at times in the first half, and it was still just 13-all with 6:52 remaining in the opening period.  Liberty went up 18-16 on a trey by Tomasz Gielo at 5:45 and pushed its lead to six at 22-16 on a jumper by Smith at 4:46. 

Miami worked its way back into a tie at 24-24 with a Kalif Wright jumper at 1:11, but a layup by James Johnson and Smith free throw restored Liberty’s advantage at 27-24 heading into the break. 

“We score 10 points in the first four minutes of the game and then we proceed to have 14 points over basically the last 15 minutes,” Cooper said. “I think their defense was getting us to take the shots they wanted us to take. … There’s a reason why sometimes you are open.”

“Then, of course, I thought Smith and Johnson did a terrific job for them in the paint. They were getting deep touches and they were finishing.”

He continued, “We needed to push them off the post further and try to get around. And then we needed to get up and down the court more – create more energy in the game and handle the rebounding.”

With McKnight leading the way and a bench to back him up, Miami was able to do that, registering it’s second win of three to open the campaign.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    MAC Football 

    UPCOMING GAMES
    All times Eastern

    ​

    MAC FOOTBALL STANDINGS
    -- Final - 2022 -- 
    MAC EAST
    OHIO 7-1
    BUFFALO 5-3
    BOWLING GREEN 5-3

    MIAMI 4-4
    KENT STATE 4-4
    AKRON 1-7

    MAC WEST
    TOLEDO 5-3

    EASTERN MICHIGAN 5-3
    WESTERN MICHIGAN 4-4
    ​BALL STATE 3-5
    CENTRAL MICHIGAN 3-5

    NORTHERN ILLINOIS 2-6

    MAC Basketball 
    MAC BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
    CLICK HERE

    ​





    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All
    Basketball
    Football
    Other

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

Proudly powered by Weebly