Nathan Peavy splits two Bronco defenders for two of his 17 second-half points in Miami's 62-59 win over Western Michigan Saturday at Millet Hall. (Jeff Creech)
It's Doug Penno's court and everyone else is just playing on it.
After spending the last two weeks building his case for being the Mid-American Conference's most clutch performer, Miami's senior shooting guard added an emphatic exclamation point to his crunch-time resume Saturday.
In front of 3,126 fans at Millett Hall, Penno drained the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to complete Miami's thrilling 62-59 comeback victory over Western Michigan.
The RedHawk faithful are quickly becoming accustomed to Penno's flair for the dramatic. In the 'Hawks' Jan. 30 game against Northern Illinois, Penno hit a pair of 3-pointers down the stretch to squash the Huskies' hope for an upset. A week earlier against Ohio, Penno connected from long distance with 17 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime, then sunk two more 3-pointers in the extra period to secure the three-point victory over the Bobcats.
"I want to take those shots," Penno said. "That's how I can help us win."
During Miami's latest game, Penno again proved the ice in his veins in helping the RedHawks erase a 14-point halftime deficit. The senior from Kettering, Ohio went 4-of-9 from the field, with all nine shots coming from 3-point territory.
On the game-winning play, point guard Alex Moosmann drove down the lane with four seconds left and kicked the ball out to his fellow guard who was left unguarded beyond the arc.
"Moosmann saved us," said Miami Head Coach Charlie Coles. "That was the best play of his freshman year."
The win improved Miami's MAC record to 6-3 (10-11 overall) and dropped Western Michigan to 5-4 in the conference (10-12 overall).
Coles recognized the importance of the victory, as both teams entered the contest sporting identical 5-3 conference records.
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"This was the biggest game this season," Coles said.
The game proved to be a tale of two halves as the first half saw the Broncos impose their will on the RedHawks, only to see the Red and White storm back in the second, much to the pleasure of the "They stunned us (in the first half)," said forward Nathan Peavy.
Western Michigan executed on offense and used staunch defense to keep Miami out of rhythm throughout the opening half. Miami shot just 36 percent from the field and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.
The lone bright spot for the RedHawks in the first half came from an unlikely source in forward Antonio Ballard, who played an increased role after Michael Bramos left the game due to a head injury incurred just three minutes into the contest.
The freshman made the most of his time on the floor, grabbing seven rebounds in eight minutes.
"Ballard kept us in the game," Penno said. "He saved us."
Saturday's showdown saw the emergence of another freshman, 6-foot-8 center Adam Fletcher. Although it was absent on the stat sheet, Fletcher's physical defense on WMU's leading scorer Joe Reitz was cited by Coles as a key to the RedHawks' comeback.
"You can add Fletch as a 'tough guy' in the league," Coles said. "Antonio and Fletch gave us what we needed to stay in the game."
Peavy struggled in the first half, netting only two points, but came alive following the intermission.
"I forced myself into a rhythm," Peavy said. "I kept looking to score and drive, anything to get me going."
Peavy and frontcourt teammate Tim Pollitz combined for Miami's first 21 points of the second half, inching Miami back into the ballgame. Peavy finished with 19 points and Pollitz notched a game-high 20 points, his third 20-plus point performance in the lastfour games.
The RedHawks shot a blistering 68 percent from the field in the second half, including 67 percent from 3-point range.
The win kept the RedHawks at a perfect 5-0 in Millett in the MAC, but they play three of their next four games on the road, starting with a Wednesday tilt against Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti, Mich.
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