DaytonDailyNews.com

OXFORD — For 40 minutes, Michael Bramos struggled mightily, and so did the Miami University basketball team.

You see, the Akron Zips know how to guard Bramos, always have. But they didn't stop him.

Not when it really counted.

Not when Bramos finally took matters into his own hands, hitting a little bank shot in the 41st minute, then stealing the ball and rattling the rim with his slam dunk to spark the RedHawks past the Akron Zips 64-51 in overtime Saturday, Jan. 10, in their Mid-American Conference opener at Millett Hall.

"Michael made a couple real good plays, and that seemed to turn the tide," Miami coach Charlie Coles said.

Until then, Bramos had hit just 3-of-15 field-goal attempts. The 6-foot-5 senior did finish with 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals, but he acknowledged that some days are going to be better than others.

"It was a tough night shooting for me," Bramos said. "I'm going to have games like this. I probably should have driven to the basket more.

"I'm kinda getting used to it (being the center of attention of opposing teams)," he added. "You've got to keep moving and stay with the game plan."

Bramos spent much of the game being guarded by Nate Linhart, who had his own shooting problems (3-for-11 from the field for eight points), but who is considered one of the top defensive players in the MAC.

"Nate Linhart in my mind is the best defender in the league," Coles said. "He guards anything from a one (position) to a four. He's got such long arms, and Michael is a shooter, and shooters have such trouble shooting over long arms."

"Linhart's good defensively, and he's long," agreed Akron coach Keith Dambrot, whose team slipped to 8-6, 0-1 MAC. "We've never gotten killed by Michael, one of the few teams that haven't. The most he's scored on us has been 15 (points). He had nine on us twice last year."

Miami (8-5 overall) was led in scoring by freshman forward Julian Mavunga, who tallied a career-high 14 points off the bench. Carl Richburg scored 12, and Tyler Dierkers led the way on the boards with 12 rebounds.

Anthony "Humpty" Hitchens led the Zips with 12 points.

The game was tied 19-19 at halftime and 48-48 at the end of regulation — after Hitchens drove down the lane against Richburg but was unable to hit his shot in the closing seconds of the second half. Miami then outscored Akron 16-3 in overtime.

"When Akron and us play, it's going to be that kind of ballgame," Coles said. "Shots are going to be hard to come by."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197

or pconrad@coxohio.com.