March 1, 2002

THE GAME
After clinching hosting rights for the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 78-68 triumph over Buffalo Monday night, Miami (12-16, 9-8 MAC) rounds out its regular season hosting MAC Champion Kent State (23-5, 16-1 MAC) at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Saturday is also senior day where Miami will recognized its four seniors: Doug Davis, Brian Edwards, Ben Helmers and Alex Shorts. A win over the Golden Flashes would place Miami in a situation where it could be anywhere from the No. 4 to the No. 7 seed, depending on the outcomes of other games. If the RedHawks lose to KSU, they are at the mercy of the of the Western Michigan/Northern Illinois outcome as to whether they will be the No. 7 seed (with a WMU win) or the No. 8 seed (with an NIU win). Kent State, which has won 14 straight games, has secured the No. 1 position in the MAC Tournament and the first regular-season MAC title in the program's history. Boasting the league's top scoring margin (+12.9), Kent State has a potent offense, coupled with a solid defense. Three Golden Flashes average over 15 points per game led by Trevor Huffman's 15.7 ppg. Antonio Gates and Andrew Mitchell follow, averaging 15.5 and 15.4 ppg, respectively. Miami, also noted for its defense, sits just behind the Golden Flashes in points allowed per game, giving up just 66.6 ppg. Offensively for the RedHawks, Alex Shorts paces the team with 13.4 ppg, while Doug Davis tallies a team-best 14.4 ppg in league action.

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