Feb. 6, 2010
DeKALB, Ill. - Four RedHawks scored in double figures Saturday afternoon, including sophomore forward Julian Mavunga, who recorded his sixth double-double of the year, as the Miami University men's basketball team knocked off Northern Illinois, 74-69, at the Convocation Center to pick up its fourth straight win and second on the road. The RedHawks (10-13, 7-3 Mid-American Conference) have now won six consecutive contests over the Huskies (8-14, 4-6 MAC).
Miami shot a scorching 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from three-point land, which is a season-best percentage, including 10-of-13 in the opening half, to build a season-high 18-point halftime advantage and fended off NIU even after it tied the game with over seven minutes remaining. Mavunga finished with 13 points and a game-high 11 boards while senior guard Kenny Hayes notched a game-high 22 points, marking the fifth time this year he reached the 20-point plateau. Junior forward Nick Winbush added 17 points while junior guard/forward Antonio Ballard chipped in 12 points.
Nailing four 3-pointers by the 13:58 mark, Miami took an early 17-10 lead. NIU came back to knot the game by the 11:39 mark, 17-17, getting all seven points from Michael Patton. But the RedHawks drained a barrage of 3-pointers to fuel a 21-4 flurry to open up a 38-21 lead. Hayes sunk two treys, while Mavunga, Winbush, freshman guard Allen Roberts and sophomore guard Kramer Soderberg each drained long-range shots for the `Hawks. Another 3-pointer by Hayes with 53 seconds left in the half put Miami up 44-23, but NIU's Tony Nixon sunk a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left to make Miami's halftime lead 18 points, 44-26.
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NIU chipped away at the RedHawk lead in the second half, eventually evening the score with 7:13 to play off a Darion Anderson jumper, 57-57. A big dunk by Ballard with 6:51 remaining put the RedHawks ahead two and a Hayes layup 40 seconds later gave Miami a 61-57 lead. The Huskies pulled within two points of the RedHawks three times, the last coming with 2:20 to play off a pair of Xavier Silas free throws, but Winbush drilled a key 3-pointer with 1:58 left to push the RedHawk lead to five points, 70-65, and Mavunga powered in a layup with 39 seconds remaining to again put the RedHawks up five, 73-68, and Miami went on to a 74-69 win.
Anderson led the Huskies with 16 points and had seven rebounds and four assists, while Silas added 13 points and Lee Fisher tallied 11 points and a team-leading eight boards.
It was Miami's second consecutive road win and the fourth straight for the RedHawks. Miami returns home to host Toledo at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
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