OXFORD — Freshman guard Lauren Dickerson topped 20 points for the fifth time this season, but the Miami University women’s basketball team was unable to hold its halftime lead, falling, 68-51, to Buffalo on Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall.
Dickerson scored 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting, along with five in both rebounds and assists. Freshman forward Savannah Kluesner also hit double figures, posting 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Both teams came out strong in the first quarter, with Buffalo building a five-point lead in the opening minutes, but Miami drew the score to 10-9 at the first media timeout. The scoring slowed following the break as the period closed with the Bulls leading 12-11.
Two baskets from Dickerson helped keep Miami in close range as the second quarter began, but a four-minute scoring drought led to Buffalo bolstering its advantage. The RedHawks responded with a quick burst powered by foul shooting from Dickerson and a three-pointer by sophomore Kristen Levering, giving them a 30-29 advantage at halftime.
Dickerson’s strong day continued into the third quarter as she converted a contested three-point play that put the RedHawks ahead, 37-31, at the 7:43 mark. Buffalo soon countered with a 10-1 run that restored its lead to 41-38 with 5:33 remaining in the quarter. Coupled with a prolonged Miami scoring drought, Buffalo continued to control the period and headed to the fourth quarter with a 56-44 lead.
The final period saw Buffalo put away the game with sharp shooting and strong defense. For the game, Miami shot 31.7 percent from the field and 73.3 percent from the foul line
Men fall to Zips
OXFORD — In a tight, back-and-forth affair, Miami University’s men’s basketball team dropped a 74-70 contest to the University of Akron Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall.
The RedHawks (8-9, 1-3 MAC) were led by junior forward Logan McLane, who posted a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Abdoulaye Harouna and freshman guard Michael Weathers also tallied double-figures with both players scoring 12 points. As a team, Miami shot 43.4 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from beyond the arc.
The Zips (14-3, 4-0 MAC) seemingly could not miss a shot in the opening minutes as they quickly hit four 3-pointers to build a 16-4 lead at the first media timeout. The RedHawks countered with a 12-5 run, led by five points from Marcus Weathers.
Akron used its strong outside shooting to keep its distance from Miami, but a series of triples from junior guards Harouna and Dion Wade brought the score to 34-31 with 4:31 remaining.
After the Zips rebuilt their advantage, the RedHawks closed the half on an 8-0 run that was capped off by a layup from McLane as the clock expired. The teams headed into the locker room with Akron leading 42-41.
The momentum extended into the second half as a layup from freshman guard Michael Weathers gave Miami its first lead of the game at 43-42. The teams went back-and-forth throughout the early portion before a pair of 3-pointers from Wade and McLane gave the RedHawks the lead at 52-48 with 13:15 left.
Following a tiebreaking 3-pointer from sophomore guard Jake Wright at the midpoint of the half, Miami continued to maintain a slim lead of 63-60 with just over five minutes to play. Akron responded with a scoring burst that put it ahead 66-63 at the 4:13 mark.
Miami tied the game soon after, but strong free throw shooting from Akron helped them carry a 71-68 lead into the final minute. An Akron turnover gave Miami an opportunity to tie the game, but McLane’s attempt was rejected and the result was sealed with a pair of foul shots.
