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1:09 AM Wednesday, February 1, 2012

By Pete Conrad

Staff Writer

OXFORD — Miami University’s basketball team has lost two straight at home, four in a row overall, is nine games below .500 and for the second time in three games faces a vastly improved opponent.

Yet a new month seems to be bringing new optimism to coach Charlie Coles and his RedHawks.

“I knew from the beginning it was going to be a tall order,” said Coles, whose team is last among all Mid-American Conference teams with a 1-6 record, “but the month of February has been a good month for the ’Hawks.”

Last year Miami took a 9-12 record into February and went 6-2 during the month. In 2007 the RedHawks were 9-11 but went 6-1 in February and wound up in the NCAA Tournament.

Tonight, the RedHawks take on Eastern Michigan, a team which finds itself in first place in the MAC West Division after losing 22 games last season.

“They’re having their best season in 8-10 years,” Coles said. “They’re very strong on defense. They play great zone defense.

“Darrell Lampley is their go-to guard,” he added, referring to the Eagles’ senior guard, who leads the team with a 13.3 scoring average and ranks second in the MAC in free throw percentage (87.3).

Last Wednesday, the RedHawks lost 63-61 to Toledo, a team that went from 4-28 last season to 10-11 this year.

“All of the teams this year that weren’t supposed to be good, they’re pretty good,” Coles said.

“Once again we have a challenge ahead of us,” he said.

“I think our guys are OK with that. We aren’t going to change how we go into this game, because we think we have a good team.”

Freshman guard Brian Sullivan, Miami’s second-leading scorer (10.3), has been away from the team for three days due to the death of his uncle. He won’t be in the starting lineup tonight but will be available to play, Coles said.

Contact this reporter  at (513) 820-2197 or Pete.Conrad@coxinc.com.

Today’s game

Who: Eastern Michigan Eagles (10-11, 5-2 MAC) at Miami RedHawks (5-14, 1-6 MAC)

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Millett Hall, Oxford

TV: None

Radio: WMOH-AM (1450)

Series: Miami leads 46-19

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