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Miami’s inside duo hard to stop

Forwards Mavunga, Edwards score double doubles as Flyers fall.

Miami University senior Julian Mavunga fakes a shot, pulling the ball back before University of Dayton senior Josh Parks (left) could snatch it away, during Tuesday's game in Oxford. Mavunga had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the RedHawks' victory. Contributed photo by Scott Allison

Scott Allison Miami University senior Julian Mavunga fakes a shot, pulling the ball back before University of Dayton senior Josh Parks (left) could snatch it away, during Tuesday's game in Oxford. Mavunga had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the RedHawks' victory. Contributed photo by Scott Allison

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 8:47 AM Wednesday, November 16, 2011

OXFORD — After starting with the wrong shots from the wrong place, the Miami University basketball team turned their attention inside. That did the trick.

Senior forward Julian Mavunga and sophomore forward Bill Edwards both recorded double doubles as the RedHawks, beset by personnel problems throughout the preseason, beat the Dayton Flyers 72-67 in overtime Tuesday night in Miami’s season opener at Millett Hall.

“Starting off the game we shot far too many 3-pointers,” said Miami coach Charlie Coles, whose team trailed by as many as eight points in the first half. “We have to establish it inside, and when we do, pretty good things happen. I think our power game was pretty good.”

Mavunga led Miami with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Edwards added 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.

“Mavunga was good when he needed to be,” said Dayton’s first-year head coach, Archie Miller, whose team slipped to 1-1 after the RedHawks broke a five-game losing skid against the Flyers.

Mavunga did not hit his first field goal until the 17:30 mark of the second half, and with 8:51 remaining in regulation he left the game for a couple minutes with cramps in his lower left leg.

“Oh yeah, I started cramping early in the second half. It was tough. Every chance I got I went to the trainer for ice. But I knew I couldn’t come out,” said Mavunga, who came out only the one time and played 43 out of 45 minutes. “Coach said don’t even look at us, you’re not coming out.”

Mavunga tied the game at 59-59 with a pair of free throws with 1:06 left in the second half. In the closing seconds he tried to score the winning points on a drive down the lane, but the ball was knocked out of his hands and out of bounds and the game went to overtime.

Mavunga scored seven points in the extra period, including an inside basket that put the RedHawks ahead 69-65 with 31 seconds to go.

Two free throws by Jon Harris with 18 seconds on the clock and an ensuing steal by Quinten Rollins sealed the game for Miami.

“We didn’t deliver on either end of the court late in the game,” Miller said of his Flyers.

“Losing a couple guys was a blow to the team,” Edwards said, referring to the preseason when Orlando Williams was suspended indefinitely and Allen Roberts suffered a knee injury, “but we all came together.”

Freshman guard Brian Sullivan, like Edwards, had a big night off the bench, finishing with 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the 3-point stripe, and Josh Sewell scored 10 points.

Dayton’s Paul Williams led all scorers with 20 points, hitting 4-of-6 shots from the 3-point stripe. Kevin Dillard added 11 points, six assists and four steals.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or Pete.Conrad@coxinc.com.

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