Recap: Miami Defeat Kent State 72-64, Will Play for MAC Championship
By: Jack Mueller
Photos Courtesy of: Miami Athletics
The Miami RedHawks took down the Kent State Golden Flashes for the third time this season, winning 72-64 in the Mid-American Conference Semi-Final. Third year Head Coach Travis Steele is now one win away from fulfilling one of the goals he set out for the program.
“I told everybody since I got to Miami. In year three, we’re going to win it.” said Steele That is the goal. Everything I’ve done up until this point has been built for this moment.”
Steele said after the win over EMU that his leading scorer, Peter Suder, was not 100%, but he played like he was on Friday night. The junior guard scored 23 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. To go with the impressive numbers, his leadership as Miami’s captain made an impact that doesn’t show up on the statsheet
“Yesterday I wasn’t feeling too good, When I woke up today I wasn’t feeling too good,” said Suder, who credited the trainers for getting him ready for gametime.
“When I came back into the huddle at the end of the fourth, he (Suder) was already talking.” said Steele.
Despite being held scoreless for the first 20 minutes, Kam Craft came in clutch. The sophomore guard poured in 17 second-half points, including a massive three to extend Miami’s lead to four with 90 seconds to play. Steele revealed after the game that the play which led to Craft’s three was something they ran for the first time in that moment.
“To take something from the board that we’ve never ran before and all of a sudden do it in those moments, it was impressive.” said Steele
“I knew I was going to get hot, and it just happened at the right time.” said Craft.
From the 17-minute mark until the clock ticked under two minutes, the two teams were separated by less than one possession. The lead changed 19 times throughout the course of the game, and the score sat even ten times. Miami broke that streak with just over 150 seconds to play, when Suder connected from the free throw line.
Kent State’s Jalen Sullinger did absolutely everything he could to keep his team in the game. The senior guard ended his career by scoring 29 points, including six threes. Steele’s team effectively limited the second option VonCameron Davis (14.6 ppg), holding him to just ten points and 4-17 from the field.
“He (Sullinger) played like a senior, he played desperate,” said Steele.
“Eian and Brant did a great job on him (Davis) as the primary defender, but there was a lot of help out there on the floor,” Steele added.
How It Happened
The teams combined to make just one of their first seven shots, a Jalen Sullinger three for Kent State, in the opening three minutes. Antwone Woolfolk broke the drought for Miami with a turnaround J, and Suder hit a three in transition to give the RedHawks an early 5-3 lead. Sullinger responded with his second and third threes to give the Golden Flashes a two-possession lead.
Reece Potter and Marquis Barnett traded baskets before Suder cut the lead to one with a triple. Sullinger continued his red-hot start with two more, which were cancelled out by a Brant Byers three at the other end. Two free throws from Byers tied the game at 15, and a second chance layup from Suder after a nice rebound and dish from Woolfolk gave the RedHawks the lead.
Kent State’s Jamal Sumlin tied the game again, but Elmer’s first three restored Miami’s advantage. Barnett cut that lead to one, but Suder remained 100% on the game, nailing a three then a jumper to make it 25-19. VonCameron Davis responded to the Miami run with one of his own, rattling off back-to-back buckets to make it a two-point game. Another Sullinger three gave Kent State the lead with just under five to play in the half.
Reece Potter got two in the low post, then Eian Elmer went 2/2 from the line to make it 29-26. Mekhi Cooper was called for Miami’s eighth foul, when allowed Jalen Sullinger to add two to his team-high point total. Elmer and Hornbeak traded two pointers before a Miami turnover allowed Kent State to hold for the last shot.
Cian Medley made it count, draining a step-back three to give his side the 33-32 advantage after the first 20 minutes.
Kam Craft, who led the RedHawks with 24 against EMU in the first round, was held scoreless in the first 20 minutes. Within the first 20 seconds of the second, he was on the board with back-to-back triples to make it 38-33. Sullinger responded with a triple of his own, but Suder came right back with an and-one to reestablish the five-point lead.
Three points from Barnett, and a circus layup from Sullinger knotted the game up at 41. A technical foul on Steele then gave the Golden Flashes two free throws and possession, which Sullinger took advantage of by making both free shots. Ipsaro came right back at Kent State with an and-one of his own, restoring Miami’s lead. Not to be outdone, Sullinger connected from beyond the arc again, making it 46-44.
The RedHawks then got another and-one, this time courtesy of Peter Suder, to retake the lead. The two sides traded the lead for the next three minutes before VonCameron Davis finished through contact for a three-point play, making it 52-50. Kam Craft flipped the lead back in Miami’s favor with a triple, but yet another Kent State and-one, this time by Gillespie, kept the Golden Flashes in front.
Miami’s ninth three, this one by Elmer, made it 58-56 before Davis and Barnett flipped the lead for the 18th time with five minutes to play. Craft tied the game again with a jumper on the wing, then gave the RedHawks the lead with a corner three. Two free throws from Suder gave Miami a four-point lead, their largest in over 15 minutes.
Sullinger’s 28th points of the game cut the lead to one with just over 90 seconds to play, but Craft responded with another three in the corner to keep the difference at four.
Up Next
The RedHawks will face a familiar foe on Saturday night, as they take on #1 seed Akron with the MAC Championship on the line. The Zips have been the best team in the conference this season, and proved it in the first semi-final, taking down Toledo 100-90. Conference player of the year poured in 31 in the victory.
The last time Miami played Akron was on January 25th, back when the RedHawks were 6-0 in conference play. The Zips handed them their first conference loss in comfortable fashion, winning 102-75. Three months on, Miami is ready for the rematch.
“I don’t know if we were ready for that moment.” said Steele. “We learned a lot from that.”
“When we played them the first time, we were not playing like ourselves. I think right now we’re playing as the best version of ourselves.” said Craft “We’ll be a different version than the last time we played them.”
The MAC Championship will take place at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Oh. on Saturday night. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 ET.