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Sports TwitterRedHawks motivated to face Zips
Monday, February 18, 2008
OXFORD — Coach Charlie Coles won't have to circle his Miami RedHawks' last four Mid-American Conference games on the schedule in red ink.
He won't have to remind his team that these final four East Division teams, starting with tonight's opponent, the Akron Zips, are the first four teams to send the RedHawks into a conference nosedive in January.
Extras
Because, Coles said, the RedHawks have come of age. He no longer needs to motivate his players. They have taken that responsibility upon themselves.
"It takes 'em a while," Coles said, "but once they get going ... They're kinda on their own now. I'll leave that to them, getting ready for Akron.
"These particular guys, they're best when they motivate themselves," he added. "They know we've got Akron, Kent (State), Ohio and Bowling Green, all four teams that have beaten us. They know that."
Senior forward Tim Pollitz said the key was accountability.
"We had a little bit of a down streak," he said, "but we started picking it up on the road, at Northern (Illinois), and guys started being accountable for each other, and we started picking up our defensive effort."
After the RedHawks lost four of their first five MAC games, they've gone 6-1, with the only loss coming in double-overtime at Western Michigan. Over those seven games, Miami has outscored its opponents by an average of 11.3 points per game.
The RedHawks, however, will be hard pressed to continue that trend.
Their next four MAC foes have combined records of 31-17 in the MAC, 66-34 overall.
Akron started Miami's downward spiral in the MAC with a 69-54 win over the RedHawks, but the Zips are feeling some pain themselves.
Last week they lost their best player, 6-foot-6 senior Jeremiah Wood, to a torn lateral meniscus in his right knee.
Wood, who leads Akron in scoring (13.4) and ranks third in the MAC in rebounding (7.8), is expected to be out at least until the start of the MAC Tournament.
Following tonight's game, the RedHawks will be able to take a break from the MAC. They play at Valparaiso in a non-league bracketbuster game Saturday, Feb. 23, and then wait five days before their next game, at home against Ohio on March 1.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
Today's game
Who: Akron Zips (18-7, 8-4 Mid-American Conference) at Miami RedHawks (13-11, 7-5 MAC)
When: 7:30 p.m.
Where: Millett Hall (6,400), Oxford
Radio: WMOH-AM (1450), WFTK-FM (96.5)
TV: ONN
Series: Miami leads 22-15.
Last meeting: Akron defeated Miami 69-54 in Akron, Jan. 5.
Probable lineups
Miami
Pos. Player Yr. Ht. PPG
G Alex Moosmann So. 6-0 3.6
G Kenny Hayes Jr. 6-0 12.6
C Tyler Dierkers Jr. 6-8 5.9
F Michael Bramos Jr. 6-5 15.6
F Tim Pollitz Sr. 6-4 15.9
AKRON
Pos. Player Yr. Ht. PPG
G Cedrick Middleton Sr. 6-0 8.7
G Nick Dials Sr. 6-1 12.7
F Brett McKnight Fr. 6-6 2.8
F Chris McKnight So. 6-7 5.8
F Nate Linhart Jr. 6-7 9.0
