OXFORD, OH -- Miami shook off a slow start to post a lopsided 75-57 win over Central Michigan Thursday at Millett Hall.
It was the second contest in two days for both teams as they made up a game postponed earlier this year . . .
Since that Jan. 28 postponement, both teams have struggled. Miami lost five of six games leading up to Thursday, while CMU entered on a six-game losing streak.
Things looked good for the Chippewas early, however, as they bolted out to a 10-1 lead. Miami didn’t register its first field goal until 14:28 when Bam Bowman hit a triple.
That seemed to open the floodgates for MU, which used a 10-3 run to pull within two at 13-11. When Isaiah Coleman-Lands hit his own trey at 9:18, the RedHawks moved in front, 19-17. They would never trail again, and eventually built a 12-point (39-27) halftime advantage.
No small part of their success came from beyond the arc as the MU connected on 7-of-13 trey attempts before intermission. Milos Jovic and Coleman-Lands combined to go 4-of-7 in the first stanza.
Two Rob Montgomery baskets and a Kevin McKay layup produced six points as CMU went inside early in the second half. However, the Chippewas could not get closer than eight points.
Miami, which hit 50 percent from the field after intermission, expanded its lead to 16 points following a pair of Dalonte Brown free throws at 10:41.
CMU had limited success with a full court press that yielded several steals and baskets. Morgan’s steal and layup at 6:39 made it a 59-49 contest.
Seven seconds later, however, Mekhi Lairy hit a pair of free throws at the other end, and Miami put together a 15-3 knockout run to seal the victory.
Four RedHawks reached double figures. Nike Sibande led the way, flirting with a double double while scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Milos Jovic tallied 15 points. Coleman-Lands (13) and Lairy (25) combined for 25.
Central Michigan, which defeated MU 93-82 in Mount Pleasant, had two players in double figures. Montgomery scored 11, while David DiLeo registered all 10 of his points before intermission.