Recap: Men’s basketball wins third-straight matchup against Central Michigan

Despite nearly faltering in the second half, the Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball team (17-5, 9-1 in conference play) rallied in the final 15 minutes to take a 76-70 victory over the Central Michigan University Chippewas (10-12, 4-6 in conference play).

A defensive battle personalized the first half, as Miami only held a 9-1 lead after six minutes of play. Central Michigan jumped to the double-figures with a layup from junior forward Ugnius Jarusevicius, and the RedHawks held a 18-10 lead with 10 minutes left in the half.

The RedHawks kept their lead before the first buzzer, but the Chippewas closed the gap to three after scoring 10 points to Miami’s four in the final three minutes.

The Chippewas continued their offensive progress early in the second half, taking the lead 45-40 four minutes in. They scored seven-straight points while Miami missed three shots in a row, and the momentum seemed to favor Central Michigan.

Two layups kept the RedHawks close, but a pair of 3-pointers from first-year guard Luke Skaljac gave Miami a 54-49 advantage halfway into the half. With seven minutes left, Skaljac hit another 3-pointer to increase the RedHawks’ advantage to 62-52.

Junior guard Damarion Bonds’ shot from deep tied the game 68-68, but the RedHawks made eight free throws while boasting a strong defensive effort, allowing Miami to take its third-straight victory 76-70.

Skaljac played his best game in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play with 13 points comprising three 3-pointers and a 5-6 field goal accuracy. Junior guard Peter Suder led the roster with 21 points, his third game of the season with more than 20.

Bonds put up 17 points against the RedHawks, his second-highest of the season. Jakobi Heady and Jarusevicius followed him with 16 and 15 points respectively.

Miami remains at No. 2 in the MAC behind the University of Akron Zips, who continued their undefeated streak with a 81-73 victory over the Ball State University Cardinals. Central Michigan sits at No. 8 in the MAC.

The RedHawks take a break from conference play and welcome the Troy University Trojans to Millett Hall on Feb. 8.

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babukc2@miamioh.edu