Man killed in fire
.JPG)
Celebs come out for TV's '24'
.JPG)
Stars turn out for film gala
RedHawks hope to stop losing streak in Akron
By Cox News Service
OXFORD — There's a trend developing with the Miami University men's basketball team. And it's a trend coach Charlie Coles hopes comes to an abrupt halt tonight in a 7 p.m. tip at the University of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena.
In their last 15 games, the RedHawks (9-7 overall, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) have had a four-game winning streak, followed by a four-game losing skid, followed by a five-game winning streak, followed by what is now a two-game skid that could easily grow considering the upcoming competition.
After facing the Zips (13-4, 6-1) tonight, Miami will travel to Ohio (12-3, 6-1) on Sunday to face a Bobcat team that just ended Akron's seven-game winning streak Tuesday.
The good news for the RedHawks is they are no strangers to road success this season. However, that was not apparent the last time they played away from Oxford in a 59-50 loss at Western Michigan on Saturday.
"We have to play like we did at Northern Illinois and Ball State," Coles said, referring to a pair of conference road victories the RedHawks claimed in their recent five-game winning streak.
"We've done it," Coles continued. "It's not like we haven't played well on the road. We have to not let a team get that kind of lead (like the 13-point lead WMU had) on us."
Akron is led by 6-foot-7 junior forward Romeo Travis, who averages 14.7 points per game, while guards Nick Dials, a sophomore, and Dru Joyce, a junior, also average in double figures at 10.6 and 10.1 ppg, respectively.
"What we have to do against Akron is try to keep the game close," Coles said. "Akron has proven they can really get you down early. We have to defense their inside attack and hope their outside guys are not having a career night. So we have to defend them inside and out.
"And, as you always have to do on the road, we have to make open shots."
Tonight's matchup features the MAC's top scoring offense in Akron (76.1 ppg) vs. the top scoring defense in Miami (59.5).
With all that scoring, it's not surprising the Zips lead the MAC in assists at 17.0 per game. They're also No. 1 in turnover margin at plus-3.76. Miami, meanwhile, is way down the list in that category, ranking 10th among the 12 league teams with a minus-0.69 margin.
The last time the two teams played, Miami kept the game at its pace, but Akron still prevailed 55-49 in overtime Feb. 23, 2005, in Akron.
• Akron to honor Huggins: Former University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins, who also is a former Akron coach, will join Wyatt Webb as inaugural inductees into the Coaches Corner of Rhodes Arena in a ceremony prior to tonight's game.
