021412sectionalgbb
Special kids get chance to play
Benefit held for crash victim
Dierkers, Fletcher lead Miami past Eastern Michigan
Sunday, February 01, 2009
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Miami University basketball coach Charlie Coles has been looking for someone besides Michael Bramos to score points in bunches and take a little pressure off the senior forward.
Coles' wish was granted Saturday, Jan. 31, when Tyler Dierkers and Adam Fletcher combined to score 34 points in Miami's 66-51 victory over the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Fletcher, Miami's 6-foot-8 junior center, hit three of the RedHawks' first four baskets, scored the game's final points with a sledgehammer slam dunk and established career highs in both points (16) and rebounds (eight).
Dierkers, a 6-8 senior, led Miami with 18 points, which tied his career high, and also recorded a double-double by pulling down 12 rebounds. For good measure he also had three steals and a blocked shot.
"We've got to do something to take the pressure off Bramos," said Coles, whose RedHawks improved to 12-7 overall, 5-2 in the Mid-American Conference.
He noted that "now Bramos is being guarded pretty good around the league" since the loss of senior point guard Kenny Hayes (Northmont), who was the team's second-leading scorer until he injured his right wrist in early December.
But teams can't concentrate on everyone in Miami's lineup, and Dierkers and Fletcher made the Eagles pay for their attention on Bramos. Dierkers and Fletcher combined to make 15-of-22 field goal attempts, Miami outscored EMU on second-chance points 18-0, and Bramos still wound up with 14 points.
Miami led 27-21 at halftime and then pulled away in the second half, shooting 64 percent from the field (16-for-25).
"We were taking better shots," Coles said. "You saw us in the first half shooting on the run. You can't do that and that's what we were doing. Bramos was hurrying every shot he took. We slowed down in the second half."
Coles said the best shot of the game belonged to sophomore guard Rodney Haddix, whose 3-pointer "coming cold off the bench" came during a 9-0 run by the RedHawks which enabled them to take control early in the second half.
Dierkers scored the other six points on three inside baskets during that 9-0 run.
Sophomore forward Brandon Bowdry led the Eagles with 16 points and freshman guard Antonio Green added 11 points.
The loss dropped Eastern to 3-18 overall, 1-6 in the MAC.
Next game
What: Ball State Cardinals (10-9, 5-2 MAC) at Miami RedHawks (12-7, 5-2 MAC)
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4
TV: ESPN Game Plan
Radio: WONE-AM (980)
