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CINCINNATI — Sophomore guard Michael Bramos was kept out of Miami's starting lineup Wednesday because he had a stiff case of the flu, but he didn't get much of a chance to recuperate.

His replacement, senior guard Doug Penno, picked up his second foul just 3:46 into the game and was sent to the bench, forcing Coles to send Bramos onto the court.

Bramos went on to play 24 minutes in Cincinnati's 60-52 victory over Miami. He scored nine points and had three rebounds, two assists, a blocked shot and a steal.

With 4:27 left in the second half, he knocked down a 10-foot jumper to tie the score at 50-50. Less than 30 seconds later, he stole the ball and scored on a lay-up to give Miami it's only lead of the second half.

"He was real sick," Coles said of Bramos. "I thanked him after the game for that. I hadn't planned on playing him. If I had, I would've started him."

Still struggling

Senior center Monty St. Clair also was held out of the starting lineup, due to a nagging foot injury. He did see action but still can't find his outside shot.

St. Clair came into the game shooting only 21.2 percent from the 3-point stripe. He took a 3-point shot with 8:59 to go in the first half and it rimmed out. He finished 0-for-2 from the arc in five minutes of action.

Penno also continued to struggle with his long-range shooting. Penno, who started the evening shooting 25.6 percent from the arc, went 0-for-6 on his 3-point attempts.

Trying times

If you're keeping count, Miami is 0-6 against teams that normally are considered NCAA Tournament contenders, and the RedHawks have been in the thick of five of those games until the closing minutes (against Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Dayton and Cincinnati).

"That was a big win for our team and a tough loss for Miami," Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin said. "I have a lot of respect for coach Coles. His team plays hard and has lost a lot of close games. They just need to get that win that gets them over the hump.

"I told the guys it would be like going to the dentist tonight," Cronin continued. "They really make it hard on you. But we got 60 points, which is more than some very good teams they've played against ...They're a team that's made it hard on some special people, like Kentucky and Illinois."

Frustrating start

Miami's defense clamped down on Cincinnati for the first 12 minutes of the first half, but the RedHawks didn't gain any dividends.

The Bearcats committed two turnovers, had a shot blocked and missed another field goal attempt on their first four possessions, but Miami's offense came up empty after all four stops and UC actually took the first lead on a 3-point play by Deonta Vaughn 2:50 into the first half.

The RedHawks eventually took a 15-9 lead thanks to that defense and a pair of 3-pointers by Alex Moosmann.

Coming up

Miami will be off until Sunday, Jan. 7, when the RedHawks face Kent State in their Mid-American Conference opener at Millett Hall, starting at 5 p.m.

Cincinnati returns to action Saturday at 6 p.m. against the Ohio Bobcats at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.