Raiders aren’t ranked, but they’re no pushovers

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 1:22 AM Sunday, December 13, 2009

OXFORD — Patience is starting to run low for Miami University’s basketball players as the losses continue to mount.

For the second time in this young season the 2-7 RedHawks face the chore of trying to snap a three-game losing streak when they face the Wright State Raiders today, Dec. 13, at Millett Hall.

Their near miss against 19th-ranked Cincinnati on Thursday didn’t bring them any comfort. If anything, the 63-59 loss to the Bearcats only emphasized their inability to close the deal against ranked opponents.

“It doesn’t count for anything,” Miami senior guard Kenny Hayes said. “It doesn’t get us a bid in the NCAA tournament if we hang with them but don’t beat them.”

Miami had rallied from a nine-point deficit midway through the second half to pull to within two points of UC with 5 minutes to play.

But then the RedHawks went more than four minutes without scoring. They erupted for 12 points in the final 46 seconds, but it was too little, too late.

“It’s getting hard, coming close so many times,” Miami junior forward Nick Winbush said.

“We’re getting a lot better,” he added. “It’s just hard getting better and taking (losses) all the time.”

Other Miami losses this season include a 72-70 heartbreaker to Kentucky (which is ranked No. 4 now) after Hayes had tied the game with a 3-point basket with six seconds to play, and a 65-58 setback to Dayton (which had been ranked in the Top 25 a week earlier) after the RedHawks had rallied to within a point of the Flyers in the final minute.

This is nothing new for Miami. Last year there was the 64-59 loss to UCLA. The year before, a 47-44 loss at Louisville. The year before that, a 51-49 loss at Illinois during the regular season and a 58-56 loss to Oregon in the NCAA Tournament.

Wright State might not be of the same caliber as those opponents, but the Raiders are no pushovers. They have enjoyed three straight 20-win seasons and their only two losses this year have come by a combined eight points.

Three of their top eight players are shooting at least 50 percent from the field, including leading scorer Todd Brown, a 6-foot-5 senior guard who averages 16.8 points and is hitting 51.1 percent of his field goal attempts and 50 percent of his 3-point shots.

Miami, playing its third game in six days, will recognize former players during the game as part of Bicentennial Reunion Weekend.

Contact this reporter at  (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.