Miami Defeats NIU in Dominant Fashion, Move to 21-7
By: Jack Mueller
(Photos Courtesy of: Zach Fremder / Miami Athletics)
The Miami RedHawks ensured that Northern Illinois would not leave Millett Hall with a win in their final game in Oxford as members of the MAC, as the home side dominated the Huskies en route to an 87-58 win.
Like they have all season long, Travis Steele’s team received offensive contributions from nearly every spot in the lineup. Nine Miami players got on the scoresheet, with three contributing more than ten points.
“It’s been the same formula all season, strength in numbers.” said Steele. “We have a lot of guys that are impacting the game in a positive way.”
“From start to finish I thought we dominated the game,” he added.
Sophomore forward Eian Elmer contributed 22 points on 57% shooting, connecting on five threes. Elmer is now averaging just under 12 points per game on the season, a five point jump from his freshman season. Steele said that the growth from him, and the rest of the young RedHawk squad, is a major reason for the success of the program.
Another young RedHawk who’s shown growth is Brant Byers, who added 22 points of his own in the win.
“I just made shots, I’ve been staying in the gym, getting extra work in” said Byers, adding that he’s not alone in the gym.
“It’s the same with the entire team.” he said, “In a game like this it really shows.”
The freshman wing is a big reason why the bench unit has been rolling offensively for the RedHawks in the last few games. Tonight, Miami’s substitutes combined for 49 points, 56% of the total offense.
“We (bench unit) can score the ball, we can defend, we can do a little bit of everything.” said Byers, “being aggressive is our mindset coming off the bench.”
“We’re built to win in March” said Steele, emphasizing how crucial it is to have bench contributions during the gauntlet that is the MAC tournament.
Coming into Tuesday’s game, Miami had failed to force their opponents into a field goal percentage below 40% in four straight games, dating back to the matchup with Troy. That streak ended against the Huskies, who shot 37% from the field and were forced into 13 turnovers. Those extra possessions resulted in 16 total points at the other end. A large reason for that number was sophomore guard Mekhi Cooper, who registered six steals.
“That (steals) allows us to get out in transition, and that’s when we’re at our best.” said Steele “We were able to score a lot off of our defense.”
How it Happened
The Huskies started the game by missing their first six shots, allowing the RedHawks to start on a 14-0 run. Back-to-back stops by Miami’s defense led to five straight points from Eian Elmer to open the scoring, before a Brant Byers three and two Suder layups extended the lead.
Five points from Steven Tipton and a Tsvet Sotirov bucket got NIU on the board after six scoreless minutes, but layups from Potter and Byers, plus a Skaljac three kept Miami in the drivers seat. James Dent converted an and-one for the Huskies to make it 21-9 as the clock ticked under eight minutes.
Evan Ipsaro found space for a layup before Brant Byers slammed home a dunk to extend the lead to 16. NIU responded with four straight, but Suder and Woolfolk responded with four of their own to make it 30-13.
NIU’s James Dent connected in the corner to give the visitors a 6-0 run, cutting into the RedHawk advantage. Brant Byers ended that run with a steal and dish to Ipsaro, who got to the rim for two. Luke Skaljac’’s second bucket of the game and Elmer’s second three made it 40-19 with under three minutes to play in the half. Nasir Muhammad and Brant Byers traded threes within seconds before four straight NIU free throws cut their deficit to 18 before the break.
Elmer took over to start the second half. Mekhi Cooper went 2/2 from the charity stripe to get Miami to the 50-point mark, then hit a three to extend the lead to 23. Elmer took it from there, scoring seven straight points on his own after NIU’s Quentin Jones connected from three.
After Elmer was subbed out, Byers took on the offensive load. The freshman forward connected for his fourth three of the game, then found Dan Luers cutting to the basket for a lob layup. Reece Potter connected on an alley-oop of his own, slamming home a feed from Ipsaro to make it 69-36.
NIU responded with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 28, but Luke Skaljac's second three re-established the 30 point lead. Not to be outdone, Elmer connected on two more threes of his own, giving him five on the night.
That would end the night for Miami’s starters, as they headed to the bench with Miami leading 80-47. The Huskies immediately rattled off an 8-0 run spearheaded by a Nasir Muhammad three. Brant Byers ended the run with two free throws, before drilling his fourth three from the corner and hitting a mid-range jumper.
The RedHawks put in their walk-ons for the final two minutes with a 29-point lead. Jack Sauer, Eli Yofan, Blake Anderson and Ethan Wright all ended the game on the floor.
Up Next
The RedHawks will become very acquainted with Interstate 70 this weekend, as they travel east to face the Ohio Bobcats in Athens. The home team has gone 4-2 in conference play since the two sides met at Millett in January, putting them in the fifth spot in the conference standings. The RedHawks survived a late Ohio comeback to win in the first meeting, and will be hoping for a more convincing result in the reverse fixture.
The game will take place at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, and will be streamed on ESPN+