Miami can’t rally a third time

High school sports results for May 26
5/26/12
Reds' six-game winning streak broken
5/26/12
Annual Warrior Soccer Classic kicks off today
5/26/12
Dragons' rally falls short against Lansing
5/26/12
WSU baseball ousted from tournament
5/26/12
> More sports headlines

Akron's Brett McClanahan drives around Miami of Ohio's Adam Fletcher during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010, in Akron, Ohio.

AP Photo Akron's Brett McClanahan drives around Miami of Ohio's Adam Fletcher during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2010, in Akron, Ohio.

After coming back in its past  two home wins, RedHawks have  no answers on the road.

Staff Report Updated 7:56 AM Thursday, January 21, 2010

AKRON — For the third time in the past nine days, Miami University’s basketball team got mired in the mud early. This time, the RedHawks stayed stuck.

The Akron Zips took an 18-point halftime lead and never looked back, running away with a 69-49 victory over the RedHawks on Wednesday, Jan. 20, at James A. Rhodes Arena.

“This was a rough one,” Miami coach Charlie Coles said after watching his team fall to 5-12 overall and 2-2 in the Mid-American Conference. “They taught us a good lesson tonight. They beat us every way they can beat you.”

Miami shot just 32.2 percent from the field (including 2-of-16 shots from beyond the 3-point arc), was outrebounded 41-27 and was outscored by players coming off the bench 26-2.

Chris McKnight was mostly responsible for that final stat. The 6-foot-7 senior forward came off the bench to score a game-high 18 points and haul in a game-high 13 rebounds for the Zips (13-5, 3-1 MAC).

“We just didn’t do what we needed to do,” Coles said. “They’re pretty good, and we’re not at their level right now.”

Miami trailed by just two points, 13-11, with 12:20 left in the first half before Akron took control with a 15-2 run.

McKnight scored nine points during that run, including a 3-point basket that gave Akron a 28-13 lead.

“We started missing easy shots,” Coles said. “We weren’t strong enough to finish (layups).”

Last week, Miami had fallen behind twice in the first half, trailing Kent State 24-11 and Ohio 37-29, but the RedHawks rallied to win both games.

“We’re not coming out ready to play,” Coles said.

Kenny Hayes led Miami with 15 points. Adam Fletcher recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Antonio Ballard chipped in with 10 points.

“He played not great, but pretty good,” Coles said of Fletcher, Miami’s 6-9 senior center. “But he made some mental errors. They all did.”

Zeke Marshall added 13 points and three blocked shots for Akron. Brett McKnight scored 10 points for the Zips, who have beaten the RedHawks seven straight times at home.