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Turner Battle

OXFORD, OH ­ Turner Battle's (Kernersville, NC/East Forsyth) three-pointer at the final buzzer rimmed out, allowing Miami to sneak away with a 57-55 victory at Millett Hall on Saturday afternoon. UB played solid basketball all afternoon and built a 15-point lead with 15:58 remaining. However, the Bulls couldn't stave off a late Miami run and dropped their 10-straight game of the season.

Buffalo (3-14, 0-8) came out and played a well-executed game from the opening tip. The Bulls were able to effectively work the ball inside to their post players and score easy buckets. It was tightly contested for much of the first half. A late 9-0 scoring run by the Bulls, capped off by a three-pointer by Jason Bird (Ypsilanti, MI/Ypsilanti) in the half's closing seconds, gave the Bulls a 33-25 advantage at the break.

The Bulls continued to shoot the ball well in the opening stages of the second stanza as they mounted a 10-3 run and opened a 15-point advantage. However, ignited by a Danny Horace dunk and capped by back-to-back Juby Johnson treys, Miami went on a 15-2 run to pull within two, 45-43, at the 7:51 mark. A Roderick Middleton (University Park, IL/Marian Catholic) jumper with 6:50 remaining, extended the Buffalo lead back to five points. But back-to-back Miami three-pointers gave the RedHawks their first lead since the first half. It was a lead Miami wouldn't relinquish. After Horace missed the front end of a one-and-one with eight seconds remaining, the Bulls collected the rebound and put the ball in the hands of Battle. The sophomore point guard dribbled the length of the floor but missed a three-pointer in the waning moments.

"I thought coming into the game, if we played very well, we would have a chance to win it in the end," Head Coach Reggie Witherspoon said. "We had that chance to win in the end, but we just didn't hit the shot."

Miami's ability to come back in the game can be attributed to their relentlessness on the offensive glass. The RedHawks gathered 10 offensive rebounds in the second half and managed 12 second chance points. The Bulls also struggled from the free-throw line as they shot only 3-of-10 from the charity stripe.

Battle was the Bulls' leading scorer with 13 points. He also added six rebounds and five assists. Mark Bortz (Commerce Township, MI/Walled Lake Central) also reached double-figures with 11 points. Bird and B.J. Walker (Cincinnati, OH/Mount Healthy) each chipped in with eight points.

Miami (9-9, 7-2) was led by Johnson who scored a game-high 21 points, including five three-pointers. Horace added 16 points and nine rebounds for the RedHawks.

"One of these times that last second shot is going to go in for us or not go in for the opponent," Witherspoon said.