Miami Delivers a Holidays-Week Win to Fans
By Ted Brennan
Reece Potter throws it down -- Hope Maley
MILLETT HALL, OXFORD OH – The RedHawks did their best Santa impression delivering the gift of a win to the fans at home today against Sacred Heart, 94-76, although the final score was closer than the score indicates.
This game is one of two more games before MAC play starts and is an excellent chance for the RedHawks to tune up and work out the kinks before conference games start.
The game looked ugly to start however for the RedHawks and the Pioneers were virtually unconscious to start the game, hitting their first four shots, including three from deep leading Miami to call a timeout down 11-3.
Despite the poor start, the RedHawks shook off the cold spell and finished the first half shooting 58% from the three point line. This is a complete turn around from their game against Vermont where they only made one three pointer the whole game. The duality of the team am I right? This was a great bounceback win pushing the RedHawks to 7-4 on the season.
It was sophomore center Reece Potter leading the way in scoring for the RedHawks. In his best game of his career, 19 pts (career-high), 3 rebs, and 1 asts. Brant Byers also contributed 10 pts off the bench as the bench outscored the starters 49-45. Eian Elmer and Kam Craft both broke double digits as starters. Luke Skaljac also had the highlight of the afternoon drilling a half court, contested, buzzer beater 3-pointer to extend the RedHawk lead to 20 going into half.
There are three big takeaways from this game that are worth mentioning moving forward into MAC play.
First, when the RedHawks are hot from 3 point land, they are HOT. Miami, as previously mentioned, followed up their one three-pointer made performance at Vermont, with an absolute barrage of 3-pointers. Miami shot lights out from three going 17-35, a scorching 48.6%. If Miami can continue the hot streak into MAC play, that’s bad news for the rest of the MAC.
Second, when Miami shares the love (i.e. no iso-ball), their offense hums and they look really tough to stop. All but one of the RedHawks who touched the floor this afternoon scored, with 9 of the 11 of the RedHawks who scored, having 7 or more points. 2 starters (Elmer and Craft) finished the game with double digits while 2 bench players (Potter and Byers) finished with double digits as well. Share the wealth, fellas.
Finally, Reece Potter will be the X-Factor for the RedHawks come MAC Play. Today he showed why. Potter finished the game a perfect 8-8 from the floor (including 3-3 from beyond the arc–as a seven-foot one player!!). He spaced the floor, played great defense, impacting a number of shots without fouling, and was a spark plug off the bench for the Miami offense. Reece is the key to Miami’s success off the bench.
Miami’s next game is Monday, December 30 at Millett Hall vs Defiance College for the last game of 2024 for the RedHawks.