With the score tied and time running out, the Golden Flashes looked as though they would win the game when a wide-open Anthony Simpson took a backdoor pass on the baseline and went up for a layup. But Haddix left the man he was guarding, Tyree Evans, and came from across the court and blocked the shot to force overtime.
“He’s taught to rotate, but he ain’t taught to jump,” Miami coach Charlie Coles said of Haddix. “I thought it was a big man that made that block. Haddix is an athlete.”
Then in overtime, Kent State took a four-point lead when Ballard drained his only shot of the game, a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 51-50. A few minutes later, Kenny Hayes gave Miami the lead for good with a pair of three throws.
More Haddix
Haddix didn’t wait for Coles to finish his halftime speech before standing up and saying something himself.
“Coach Coles was taking, and Rod kind of cut Coach off a little bit and stood up in front of the team,” Hayes said. “He basically said, ‘We’re tired of losing and we aren’t playing with any heart.’ And he was right. All of our heads were down.
“Rod sparked it,” Hayes added. “We came out with momentum after that and fought back.”
Coles sets record
With the win, Coles tied Bob Nichols for the most wins in Mid-American Conference history with 194.
“That’s one of my good friends,” Coles said of Nichols. “He helped me a lot in coaching. He still helps me. Whenever we got to Toledo, I have him come over and eat with us and talk to the team.
“He was a very good coach,” Coles continued. “He and (former MU coach) Darrell Hedric are the best two coaches who ever coached in this league.”
Feeble first half
The 11 points Miami scored in the first half equaled the second-worst scoring half in program history. The lowest point total in a half was eight, which the RedHawks scored in the first half of a 60-23 loss at Dayton on Dec. 29, 2001.
Miami also scored 11 points in a half Dec. 5, 1961, at Cincinnati.
Dubious mark averted
By rallying to beat Kent State, the RedHawks improved to 4-11 and avoided the program’s worst start in 75 years.
The 1934-35 team started and finished 3-12 in a 15-game season.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com
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