It was rough and rowdy in the M.A.C. Center as the undefeated No. 25 Miami RedHawks came to town for a date with the Kent State men’s basketball team. Despite an amazing effort from the Flashes in the second half, in which KSU outscored the RedHawks 58-44, Miami emerged with a 107-101 victory at the end of overtime. 

With the loss, the Flashes drop to 14-5 (5-2) on the year, with just five home games remaining in the regular season. KSU will receive some much needed rest before traveling to Ypsilanti, Mich., to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles. 

True to their name, the RedHawks are red-hot. Miami is now 20-0 (8-0), and has found a way to win back-to-back games in overtime to solidify itself as one of three remaining teams in the entire country yet to drop a game. 

“It was a great college basketball game,” coach Rob Senderoff said. “Disappointed in the result, our guys played hard.”

To open the game, the RedHawks showed why this matchup received so much hype before the opening tip. Miami hit the ground running on a 11-2 run within the first two and a half minutes of play, propelled by lights-out defense that forced three KSU turnovers in this sequence. 

Graduate student center Rob Whaley Jr. pulled his team out of the dry spell with five quick points to cut the lead down to four. However, Miami embarked on another early run, scoring 10 unanswered points to acquire a 21-7 lead early in the first half. 

With just over nine minutes left before halftime, KSU found itself staring at the same double-digit lead that plagued the home team throughout the entire first half, but Whaley Jr. cut the Miami lead to 26-17 on a layup. 

Senior forward Delrecco Gillespie kept the lead at nine on a pair of free throws, followed by a layup from graduate student forward Morgan Safford to make it a 37-30 ball game with under five minutes remaining in the half. Right on cue, sophomore guard Luke Skaljic showed his shooting skills on a 3-pointer that put the RedHawks up by 10. 

To end the half, a 3-pointer from freshman guard Justin Kirby and a two-point bucket from senior guard Peter Suder gave the RedHawks a 48-34 lead to cap off a dominant first half performance. 

The RedHawks continued their fruitful scoring efforts in the opening minutes of the second half, opening with a pair of buckets from Skaljic. The sophomore guard finished with 18 points and eight assists. 

When all hope seemed lost for KSU, Gillespie ignited a fire underneath his teammates on a 3-pointer. Just a few plays later, an 8-4 run that went in the way of the Flashes ended on a layup from junior guard Cian Medley to cut the lead down to six. 

From there, Whaley Jr. switched into second gear, scoring nine points on just four shots. An amazing turn-around 3-pointer from the UNLV transfer tied the game at 59-59, sending the home crowd into an electric uproar. 

Miami kept on scoring to keep the Flashes at a deficit, but Whaley Jr. did not relent, scoring four quick points. Freshman guard Quinn Woidke supported his upperclassmen teammate on a layup to keep the game tied with just over 10 minutes remaining in the second half. 

Just a few seconds later, a steal from Whaley Jr. set up a one-handed jam from redshirt sophomore Rayvon Griffith to give KSU its first lead of the night. It took nearly the entirety of the game, but the Flashes finally found themselves in the driver’s seat as the sellout crowd supported them every step of the way.

But the RedHawks were not satisfied with the momentum shift, and stole KSU’s thunder on a 6-4 run that put Miami right back in the lead. In the blink of an eye, Woidke pulled up from three and put the Flashes up by two.

With six minutes left, Medley put the Flashes up by five with a pair of free throws. But right around the corner were two sharp-shooting guards wearing red and white, as junior Eian Elmer and sophomore Brant Byers hit on a pair of 3-pointers to give Miami an 80-79 lead. 

Shortly after, Medley seized the momentum on a three to swing the lead back into the Flashes hands. Skaljic could not convert on a layup on the next possession, and two free throws from Medley gave KSU a two-possession lead with just over four minutes left. 

“We played with a much more competitive spirit in the second half,” Senderoff said. “I thought at halftime Morgan (Safford) did a great job talking to the team.”

For the next minute, the lead stayed at four. Byers went on to foul Medley before he could cross half court with 2:30 left, but Medley could not convert on two crucial free throws that would have won the Flashes the ball game. 

The junior out of New Jersey redeemed himself on a huge 3-pointer that gave KSU a 92-87 lead that must have seemed impossible to climb for the unbeaten RedHawks. But it was Suder, the hero of Miami’s game against the Bulls that kept the perfect record intact, who pulled the RedHawks within two on a layup. 

Skaljac recognized the moment his team found itself in, and with ice in his veins, tied the game at 92-92 on a layup with six seconds left. With one final possession, Woidke shocked the entire stadium, pulling up from downtown on a shot that rimmed out as the game was sent into extras. 

In what became the most crucial sequence of Tuesday’s game, the RedHawks opened overtime on a 6-0 run fueled by buckets from Skaljac and Suder. A successful trip to the free throw line from Medley cut the lead down to four, but Skaljac kept his foot on the gas and delivered on a layup that gave Miami a 100-94 lead. 

A 3-point layup from Safford, who gave it his all against his former team, pulled the Flashes within just a single point. However, Miami caught the Flashes sleeping on defense with 38 seconds left in the game, and Elmer threw it down to give the RedHawks a 104-99 lead. 

Medley brought the Flashes back within a single possession, but crucial free throws from the RedHawks certified Miami’s 20th consecutive victory in a 107-101 thriller between Mid-American Conference heavyweights. 

Key Stats 

Whaley Jr. led the Flashes in scoring with a strong 27-point performance. The graduate student was a beast in the paint all-night long, securing 14 rebounds and blocking three shots. 

Medley finished with 23, with nine coming from beyond the arc and 10 coming from the free throw line. The junior only missed two free throws all night — the two crucial misses that came on the foul from Byers. 

Safford finished with 18 points against his former squad, as his leadership skills showed throughout all of Tuesday’s contest. He would also pull down eight rebounds and was a perfect four of four from the free throw line.

“He (Safford) played his heart out,” Senderoff said. “I know this game meant a lot to him.”

Looking ahead 

KSU’s next opponent, the Eastern Michigan Eagles, have yet to win back-to-back games against conference opponents. The Eagles do succeed at home, as EMU will welcome the Flashes whilst holding a 6-2 home record.

“You’ve got to find a way to recover,” Senderoff said. “You’ve got to find a way to bounce back from tough losses.”

Gage Wellman is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].