RedHawks seek to keep momentum going

Miami shooting for first set of back-to-back victories this season.

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer 1:35 AM Saturday, February 4, 2012

OXFORD — Miami University’s men’s basketball team will try to do two things today that have eluded it this season.

The RedHawks have yet to beat a Division I team on the road, and have yet to win back-to-back games.

They hope to accomplish both feats this afternoon at Ball State.

Miami coach Charlie Coles is anxious to see if his team can build a little momentum off their remarkable overtime win against Eastern Michigan on Wednesday, when the RedHawks rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final three minutes.

“They hang in there, and I hope they keep doing it,” he said. “It’s not over yet. We won one game. Can we keep doing it? That’s our challenge. Can we take another step? That’s what I’m wondering.”

The will to win is there, Coles said. He has seen it in practice.

“This team hasn’t gotten a lot of breaks,” he said. “We’ve had some hard-luck things happen to us.”

In addition to Orlando Williams leaving school and Allen Roberts and Bill Edwards undergoing surgery, the RedHawks have suffered eight losses by a margin of seven or fewer points to the likes of Xavier, Vanderbilt, Akron, Kent State and Ohio.

“This is the second-best practice team I’ve ever had since I’ve been here at Miami,” Coles said. “This team, boy, they work hard in practice. They’ve never faltered there. Never. Not even with the tough losses. And I appreciate that.”

His only Miami team that worked harder in practice, he said, was his first, the 1996-97 squad consisting of seniors Devin Davis, Ira Newble and Jermaine Henderson and sophomores Wally Szczerbiak, Damon Frierson and Rob Mestas.

Those RedHawks steamrollered Eastern Michigan in the Mid-American Conference tournament final 96-76.

There will be some big-time talent in today’s game as well. Miami’s 6-foot-8, 238-pound senior, Julian Mavunga, leads the MAC in scoring (17.7) and rebounding (10.2). Ball State’s 6-9, 230-pound senior, Jarrod Jones, is second in the MAC in scoring (17.3) and rebounding (8.8).

According to Coles, Mavunga “is pretty good when he’s challenged. He needs a challenge. He needs to go up against Jarrod Jones on Saturday. He needs to go against him and see where it falls.”

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

Today’s game

Who: Miami (6-13, 2-5 MAC) at Ball State (12-8, 4-4)

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Worthen Arena, Muncie, Ind.

Radio: WMOH-AM (1450)

Series: Miami leads 58-36

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