Kansas City
Miami Univ. (Ohio)
Miami Holds off UMKC in Final Non-Conference Road Test, 66-61
1/3/2015 5:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
(Oxford, Ohio) - The UMKC men's basketball squad struggled with turnovers in the opening half, and couldn't get the offense going in the final stanza, as Miami University held on for a 66-61 victory in the final non-conference road game of the season for the 'Roos.
UMKC (5-11) jumped out to an 11-2 start to the game in the opening five minutes, but the rest of the half was plagued by turnovers for the 'Roos. The RedHawks (5-8) had a 17-16 lead by the 8:18 mark, and then held the 'Roos without a field goal until 3:12 remained to build their lead to 24-16.
Missouri-Kansas City stayed in it though, and scored the next eight points, capped by a pair of Deshon Taylor threes to tie it at 24 with 1:45 left. MU went into the break with a 26-24 lead. UMKC turned it over 14 times in the period, and those led to 13 points for the home team. The 'Roos tallied a 17-13 rebound edge as well.
The 'Roos solved the turnover problem in the second stanza with only two, but its offense struggled, hitting only 36 percent of its shots, while Miami drilled 50 percent.
The RedHawks jumped out early in the period, taking advantage of several open misses from three and put-back attempts that missed the mark by UMKC. The 'Roos had 14 offensive boards, but got only seven points out of those. It basically wiped out a good day on the glass for UMKC, who out-rebounded MU 38-30. The RedHawks pushed their advantage to as many as nine on a three by Eric Washington with 11:26 to play.
The 'Roos could only get it to within four when Darius Austin put back an offensive rebound with 7:25 to play, but MU scored the next four points. UMKC's next run at the RedHawks came at the 3:01 mark when Martez Harrison converted a three-point play to get it back to five, but they answered with another run to make it a 10-point game, the largest margin of the night.
In the closing seconds the 'Roos got it back down to four, but it was too little, too late as Miami salted it away at the free throw line.
The RedHawks turned the ball over only 11 times on the night, matching the lowest total against UMKC this season. Washington led their attack with 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting for MU.
The 'Roos were paced by 14 points from Reese Holliday, matching a career-high at UMKC. Also scoring double-figures was Harrison with 13, and Taylor with a career-best matching 12 on 4-of-6 shooting from three. Austin pulled down 12 rebounds for UMKC in the effort as well.
UMKC will face mid-major No. 15 USC-Upstate on Tuesday in their final non-conference tune-up. They host the South Carolina based team at Municipal Auditorium at 7:05 p.m.
