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RedHawks sharp in home opener

MU sophomore Mavunga records his third double-double in four games.

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Staff Writer Updated 8:35 AM Monday, November 30, 2009

By Pete Conrad

OXFORD — Miami University sophomore center Julian Mavunga was trying to prove a point with his rim-rattling dunk with 1:26 left. Or perhaps just punctuate it.

“We’re trying to find an identity as a team,” he said, “and show everybody out there that Miami basketball is tough.”

Last week that would have been a tough sell. But not Saturday, Nov. 28, when the RedHawks socked it to the Evansville Purple Aces 82-58 in their home opener at Millett Hall.

Mavunga, who tends to loom at 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, recorded his third double-double in the last four games by scoring a career-high 18 and grabbing 10 rebounds. He also drilled 3-of-5 shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

Rodney Haddix II added 14 points for the RedHawks (2-4), who led 42-27 at halftime, then blew out Evansville with a 16-2 run in the second half that included four 3-point baskets (two by Haddix, one each by Mavunga and Kenny Hayes).

“We needed that a lot,” Haddix said. “To come on against a good team like Evansville is really big.”

Mavunga had shown only glimpses of his potential as a freshman. “Julian was a guy who looked like he should be phenomenal,” Miami coach Charlie Coles said.

“Coach Coles said I was on the floor looking pretty but that I didn’t produce, it didn’t show up in the box score,” Mavunga said.

That all changed when Miami made its trip to Albuquerque, N.M., for the three-game Basketball Travelers Tournament.

“On our way out to New Mexico,” Coles said, “I told him, ‘Be productive, my man. Your freshman year is over. I know you can play.’ ”

Mavunga made his first three collegiate starts in New Mexico, coming up with 16 points and 12 rebounds against Louisiana Tech and 12 points and 10 rebounds against Nicholls State.

“Julian Mavunga is a guy of great ability,” Coles said, “but is also a guy who gets bored sometimes with repetition. We’ve got to keep him on task, because when he plays well, the team plays well.”

Coles called the victory over Evansville his team’s best game of the year, better than the 72-70 loss at Kentucky on Nov. 16.

“Against Evansville we did what we set out to do,” said Coles, who had been emphasizing defense and rebounding all week, and whose RedHawks outrebounded the Aces 36-30 while holding them to a shooting percentage of 38.5.

Evansville (2-2) was led by James Haarsma with 12 points and eight rebounds. Denver Holmes and Bryan Bouchie each had 11 points off the bench.

Next game

Who: Dayton Flyers (3-2) at Miami RedHawks (2-4)

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday

Where: Millett Hall (6,400) Oxford

TV: WHIO (Channel 7)

Radio: WMOH-AM (1450), WPFB-FM (105.9)

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