The Miami University RedHawks men’s basketball team (21-8, 12-4 in conference play) will take on the University of Buffalo Bulls (9-20, 4-12 in conference play) tonight at 7 p.m.
Miami last played on the road on March 1 against the Ohio University Bobcats. Despite four RedHawks scoring in the double-digits, Miami fell 75-66 in this season’s second Battle of the Bricks.
Sophomore wing Eian Elmer gave the RedHawks an early 3-0 lead, but Ohio tied the game twice in the first half. A triple from redshirt sophomore guard AJ Brown gave the Bobcats the lead with eight minutes left in the half, and Ohio added to its advantage until the final buzzer.
Junior forward Antwone Woolfolk led Miami with 16 points, his second-most in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play. Junior guard Peter Suder closely followed with 15 points.
Senior forward AJ Clayton contributed 20 points to give the Bobcats their eighth Battle of the Bricks victory under head coach Jeff Boals. Graduate student forward Vic Searls brought in 13 points, his first double-digit game since Jan. 21.
Later that afternoon, the Bulls won 87-74 against the University of Toledo Rockets.
Buffalo entered Saturday’s matchup on a four-game losing streak, putting the team at 11th in the MAC and out of tournament contention. The Bulls dropped their last nine matchups against Toledo, with their last win taking place before the COVID-19 pandemic on Feb. 14, 2020.
Despite this, the Bulls dominated in the second half, outscoring the Rockets 55-42 to snap their losing streak. Senior guard Tyson Dunn and sophomore guard Bryson Wilson both scored 20 points or more.
Wilson brought in 20 points four days after his 22-point performance against Central Michigan on Feb. 25. He averages 7.3 points per game this season.
Dunn continued his strong performance this season with 26 points over Toledo. During conference play, he so far has averaged 13.2 points per game, the second-highest on the team behind sophomore guard Ryan Sabol (13.9).
Sabol ranks 11th in the conference for scoring, but the Bulls are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the MAC. They average 72 points a game, only higher than the Northern Illinois University Huskies, who average 71.
Additionally, Buffalo leads the MAC in points allowed per game (80.6). The Bulls allow opponents to shoot 46.8% from the field, the third-highest in the MAC, and they have the most turnovers in the conference with 425.
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When Buffalo first faced the RedHawks on Jan. 4, Sabol and Dunn combined for 45 points, but Miami held the rest of the roster to under 10 points, allowing the team to take its first win in MAC play 93-79.
Six RedHawks scored more than 10 points in the conference play opener. Redshirt sophomore wing Kam Craft led with 20, and redshirt first-year wing Brant Byers played his best game at the time with 18 points.
Since then, Craft and Byers have been pivotal in Miami’s success against MAC opponents. The duo average 12.0 and 11.2 points per game, respectively, and they have five combined games with more than 20 points in the new year.
Tonight’s matchup marks the 56th game between the Bulls and the RedHawks. Miami holds a 30-27 series advantage, but Buffalo is 15-12 against the RedHawks at home.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
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