Almar Atlason poured in 21 points off the bench and Miami showed it can win in more ways than one Tuesday night, pounding the paint and living at the free-throw line to beat Western Michigan 87-76 at Millett Hall.
Miami (16-0, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) went just 6 of 26 from 3-point range, yet still scored 87 behind a steady diet of interior touches and 34 free-throw attempts. The RedHawks made 27 at the stripe and had five players in double figures, turning a tight game into another home win that kept their unbeaten season intact.
Western Michigan (6-9, 0-3) briefly grabbed the lead early in the second half — flipping a 39-35 halftime deficit into a 43-41 advantage — behind Jayden Brewer and Jalen Griffith. Brewer finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, while Griffith scored 10 in 16 minutes. Justice Williams added 14 for the Broncos.
Miami answered with poise and depth. Atlason scored in a variety of ways and sparked the separating stretch as the RedHawks cleaned up ball security.
“We didn’t shoot as well from 3,” Miami coach Travis Steele said. “So we pounded that sucker inside, and we got to the foul line due to that.”
Antwone Woolfolk scored 13 points for Miami. Peter Suder and Luke Skaljac added 12, and Justin Kirby supplied 10 points and eight rebounds in a bigger role with injuries and illness thinning Miami’s rotation.
Miami’s defensive activity and improved decision-making fueled the run that broke the game open, and the RedHawks closed it out by repeatedly getting to the paint and the line.
Kirby’s energy, Miami’s depth flip the game
Miami’s bench has been a season-long advantage, and Tuesday looked like a snapshot of why Steele trusts it — even when the night started choppy.
Trey Perry not playing Tuesday due to illness, mixed with Evan Ipsaro sidelined for the remainder of the season, had Miami tapping further into its rotation.
Kirby, a freshman whose preseason was interrupted by injury and illness, became the next man up — and that changed the feel of the game.
“I’m super proud of Justin,” Steele said. “When he entered the game, he really changed the game with his energy, his athleticism. … You feel him. He made huge plays on the glass — blocks, hustling around, flying around the floor — had a huge impact on winning.”
Kirby’s eight rebounds helped Miami stay even in the physical areas where Western Michigan typically asserts itself. The Broncos finished with 13 offensive rebounds and 44 points in the paint, but Miami countered with 41 total rebounds and did enough on the defensive glass.
Miami’s depth showed up to the tune of 37 bench points — led by Atlason’s 21 and Kirby’s 10. The RedHawks had zero bench points in their win over Akron on Saturday.
Steele pointed to Miami’s composure and connectivity when the game tightened after Western Michigan took the lead early in the second half.
“Adversity hits, we’re unflappable,” Steele said. “Our guys know when adversity hits, we’ve got to tighten up our focus and get tighter as a team.”
Turnovers cleaned up, home streak, national attention
Western Michigan’s pressure and offensive rebounding kept it within reach, and Atlason said Miami’s biggest obstacle was self-inflicted early on.
“A lot of it was our fault,” Atlason said. “We were having too many unforced turnovers, and then they got some offensive rebounds, kind of kept it close. As soon as we did (take care of the ball) — kind of that 15 mark in the second half — we took off.”
Steele traced the turning point to ball security. Miami had 10 turnovers in the first half and three more in the first two minutes after halftime, then finished with 14 total — meaning the RedHawks committed just one turnover over the final 18 minutes while building their decisive margin.
Miami’s win also pushed its home-court run into the record books. Steele said he learned on the way to the postgame interview that the RedHawks had set the program mark with 24 consecutive home wins, breaking the previous record of 23 set from 1996-98.
“You’ve got to be able to protect home court,” Steele said. “We want to make Millett a tough place to play.”
The unbeaten start is also drawing national notice. Miami received 22 votes in the most recent Associated Press Top 25 men’s college basketball poll released Monday, and the RedHawks held at No. 3 in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
Miami is one of six remaining undefeated Division I teams — along with Arizona, Iowa State, Michigan, Nebraska and Vanderbilt.
Next game
Who: Miami at Toledo
When: 6 p.m. Friday
TV/Streaming: CBSSN
Radio: 980-AM, 1450-AM, 101.5-FM
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