RedHawks Round Out Six-Game Road Stretch at Temple

RedHawks and Owls at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday

Dec. 2, 2008

REDHAWKS ROUND OUT SIX-GAME ROAD STRETCH AT TEMPLE: Miami University's men's basketball team rounds out a six-game road stretch to start the season when the RedHawks play at Temple at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 3. This will be the second straight Atlantic 10 opponent for Miami, who traveled to Xavier on Saturday. Miami started its road stretch on the West Coast at UCLA for a 2K Sports Classic regional Dec. 12-13 and rounds out the road stand on the East Coast in Philadelphia to face Temple.

ABOUT TEMPLE: Miami and Temple have both been on the road for several games to start the season. Temple is playing its first home game on Wednesday and enters the contest with a 3-2 mark. The Owls have wins against East Tennessee State, the College of Charleston and Lafayette, while suffering losses to Clemson and at Buffalo. Temple has scored 70 or more points in every game this season, while Miami has restricted all but one opponent to less than 70 points. Four players are scoring in double figures for the Owls, led by Dionte Christmas' 24.0 ppg. Ryan Brooks follows, averaging 13.6 ppg, while Sergio Olmos and Lavoy Allen average 12.0 and 11.0 ppg, respectively. Christmas is shooting an impressive 50.6 percent from the field this season and has drained 19 of the team's 39 treys. He also has dished out 18 assists. Allen paces the Owls on the boards, averaging 9.0 rpg, followed by Christmas' 8.2 rpg. Luis Guzman and Semaj Inge have handed out 27 and 21 assists, respectively, and have a team-leading eight steals apiece. As a team, the Owls have collected 40 steals (8.0 per game) and 86 assists (17.2 per game).

THE SERIES WITH THE OWLS: Miami and Temple are meeting for the fifth time in series history with Temple holding a 3-1 edge. Miami won the last meeting, a 66-58 triumph in Oxford during the 2000-01 campaign. Temple had won the first three meetings, one coming in Philadelphia during the 1999-00 season, 60-47, and the first two at neutral sites in 1967-68 and 1968-69.

SERIES TIDBIT: The last time Miami and Temple met current Miami assistant coach Jason Grunkemeyer was a senior for the RedHawks. Grunkemeyer paced the RedHawks to their first win in the series with Temple, scoring a game-high 20 points off a 6-of-9 shooting effort, nailing 5-of-7 from 3-point range. Grunkemeyer also dished out three assists in 40 minutes of action.

UP NEXT: At long last, Miami returns home to host three straight games, beginning with a Dec. 6 tilt against Northwestern State at 3 p.m. The RedHawks then host UW-Milwaukee at 7 p.m. on Dec. 11 and play the second game of a women's and men's double header on Dec. 13 against Valparaiso.

ROAD WARRIORS: Miami has had its road stamina tested early this season, playing its first six games on the road. Miami will log approximately 6,270 round-trip miles in games played through Dec. 3.

RedHawks On The Airwaves
MIAMI ISP SPORTS NETWORK: In its second year of its partnership with ISP Sports Marketing, the Miami ISP Sports Network continues its coverage of Miami men's basketball with a group of affiliates blanketing most of Southwest Ohio and Southeast Indiana. "The Voice of the RedHawks" Steve Baker delivers the play-by-play coverage, while Joe Barry provides color commentary and Tim Bray gives sideline reports. Tune in to one of Miami's game-day affiliates: WMOH-AM 1450 (Hamilton, OH), WPFB-FM 105.9 (Middletown, OH), WFMG-FM 101.3 (Richmond, IN), WONE-AM 980 (Dayton, OH)

TELEVISION COVERAGE: Wednesday's game will not be televised.

COLES REACHES 300: Miami head coach Charlie Coles earned his 300th career win with a 70-66 triumph over Weber State on Nov. 12. In his 19th season as a head coach, Coles owns a 301-242 record. Coles boasts a 209-1578 mark at the helm of the Miami program and is nine wins away from breaking the all-time win mark. Coles owns the third-most wins of any coach in Mid-American Conference history and is second all-time league wins. He needs 12 MAC wins to break the league record for career conference wins.

BANGING THE BOARDS: After being outrebounded in its first three games, Miami has come back to top its opponents on the boards in its last two outings. The RedHawks were outrebounded by an average of 6.7 rpg in their first three games but have outrebounded opponents by 9.5 rpg in their last two games. Miami eclipsed Wright State by 16 boards, while edging Xavier--who entered the game averaging 42.2 rpg and a +10.6 rpg margin--by three rebounds. Sophomore guard/forward Antonio Ballard paces the RedHawks, averaging 5.6 rpg on the season, while senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers follows closely behind at 5.4 rpg. Over the last two games, senior forward Michael Bramos averaged 6.5 rpg, while senior guard Kenny Hayes added 5.0 rpg.

HAYES TABBED MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After a week where he averaged 19.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game, senior guard Kenny Hayes was named the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 1. Hayes was Miami's leading scorer in both games last week, amassing 20 points at Wright State and 19 at Xavier. For the week, Hayes shot an impressive 50.0 percent from the floor, including 40.0 percent from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent from the free-throw line. This is the second player of the week honor for the RedHawks this season, as senior forward Michael Bramos earned the honor on Nov. 17., and the first for Hayes in 2008-09. It is the second MAC weekly award for Hayes during his Miami career.

ROARING 20's: Twice this season senior guard Kenny Hayes has scored in the 20s. In the RedHawks' season opener against Weber State, Hayes scored a game-high 24 points, 17 of which came in the first half. At Wright State on Nov. 24, Hayes led all scorers with 20 points. It was the seventh 20-point scoring effort during his Miami career. With his 22 points against No. 4 UCLA, senior forward Michael Bramos posted the 15th 20-point scoring effort of his career. Eleven times he eclipsed 20 points as a junior, including four 30-point scoring efforts.

BRAMOS BECOMES 33rd MIAMI PLAYER TO SURPASS 1,000 CAREER POINTS: Behind a 22-point effort against No. 4 UCLA on Nov. 13, senior forward Michael Bramos became the 33rd player in Miami men's basketball history to surpass 1,000 career points. Bramos needed just nine points to reach the benchmark entering the game. He owns 1,049 career points.

BRAMOS CLIMBING CAREER TOP-10 CHARTS: Senior forward Michael Bramos ranks Miami's career top-10 in several statistical categories.

Michael Bramos
	• With 102 career blocked shots, needs seven to tie the third-place total of 109.
	• Ranks ninth in career 3-pointers with 136 and needs 10 to tie for eighth.
	• His .821 career free-throw percentage ranks second all-time at Miami.
	• Has 378 career 3-point attempts, which ranks seventh.

HAYES TIES SINGLE-GAME 3-POINT FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE RECORD: Sinking 7-of-7 3-pointers against Weber State, senior guard Kenny Hayes tied a single-game 3-point field-goal percentage record at Miami. (Craig Michaelis went 6-for-6 against Nebraska on Nov. 27, 1989.) Hayes' seventh trey of the game may have been the most critical as he nailed the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining in the game. His seven treys against the Wildcats also ties for fifth on Miami's single-game list.

POLLITZ BACK IN THE STARTING LINEUP: Senior guard Eric Pollitz has started Miami's last two games. Pollitz came off the bench to average 20.0 minutes of play in Miami's first three games. In the last two games, Pollitz has played an average of 26.5 minutes per game and averaged 4.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg, while shooting 44.4 percent from the floor. He also has dished out a team-high-tying five assists.

X MARKS THE SPOT FOR FLETCHER: At Xavier on Nov. 29, junior center Adam Fletcher set or tied numerous career highs. He set a career high for rebounds (5) and tied career highs in blocked shots (1), steals (1), assists (2) and minutes played (25).

BALLARD ON THE COMEBACK: After sitting out all but one game during the 2007-08 campaign due to a foot injury, sophomore forward/guard Antonio Ballard has been solid in Miami's first five games this season. Ballard amassed a career high of nine rebounds against Weber State. At No. 5/6 Pittsburgh, Ballard scored a career-high 10 points and had a career-best two steals. Ballard has come off the bench to average 22.2 minutes per game and leads the team with 5.6 rpg, while averaging 4.8 ppg.

DIERKERS ON THE STEAL: Senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has aggravated opponents this season. Dierkers, who is a strong post defender for the RedHawks, has caused numerous opponent turnovers and picked up eight steals on the season. His eight steals account for 40 percent of the RedHawks' team steals in 2008-09.

MINUTE MAN: While Miami has used a 10-man rotation in three games and has a total of 12 players seeing action in at least two games this season, senior forward/center Tyler Dierkers has been a fixture on the floor thus far. Dierkers is averaging 37.2 minutes per game and played all 40 minutes against No. 4 UCLA. He has led the team in minutes played in every game this season.

FRESHMEN MAKE EARLY CONTRIBUTIONS: Two of Miami's three true freshmen have seen action in the RedHawks' first five games, making early contributions. Forward Julian Mavunga was the first to see game action, coming off the bench in the first half against Weber State on Nov. 12. Mavunga recorded six points and played 11 minutes. Guard Kramer Soderberg entered the game in the second half against the Wildcats, nailing a quick long-range 2-point field goal and then driving to the bucket and tossing in a layup late in the game to give Miami its first lead since the start of the half. Against No. 4 UCLA, Mavunga tallied six points in 12 minutes of action, while Soderberg also tallied five points in six minutes of action. Mavunga tallied a season-best four rebounds at No. 5/6 Pittsburgh.

BIG 33: Four current RedHawks share Miami's single-season record for games played (33) with seven other individuals. Senior forward Michael Bramos and senior center/forward Tyler Dierkers played in all 33 games in 2006-07, while senior guard Kenny Hayes and senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz played in all 33 games last season.

THEY ARE MIAMI THROUGH AND THROUGH: All four of the RedHawks' coaches hold degrees from Miami University: Head Coach Charlie Coles earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1965, associate head coach Jermaine Henderson earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1997, assistant coach Ryan Pedon earned a master's degree in sport organization in 2002, while assistant coach Jason Grunkemeyer earned a bachelor's degree in physical education in 2001. Additionally, second-year director of basketball operations Jimmy Lallathin is a 2003 Miami graduate.

REDHAWK TIDBITS: In his final year of eligibility, senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz is currently pursuing a master's degree in sports studies ... Pollitz earned his bachelor's degree in sports studies from Miami University in May 2008 ... when the RedHawks hosts Northwestern State on Dec. 6, 2008, it will be the 500th Miami men's basketball game played in Millett Hall ... Miami owns a 381-118 record in Millett Hall dating back to the 1968-69 season.

A MIAMI WIN WOULD ... • Be the RedHawks' second straight win in the series with Temple. • Up Miami's record at 3-3 on the season. • Be Miami's first win at Temple.

A MIAMI LOSS WOULD ... • Drop Miami to 2-4 on the season. • Give Temple its first home win. • Give Miami back-to-back losses for the second time this season.

Miami Athletics Men's Basketball


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