Lack of energy at start of game frustrates Miami

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By Pete Conrad, Staff Writer Updated 8:01 AM Wednesday, December 9, 2009

OXFORD — Miami University basketball coach Charlie Coles can’t explain it. Senior point guard Kenny Hayes doesn’t like it.

But it was obvious to the 1,457 fans in Millett Hall. The RedHawks started the game with less energy than the Temple Owls, who rode a 25-0 run in the first half to cruise to a 64-42 victory Tuesday, Dec. 8.

“I can’t explain our energy at the beginning of the game,” Coles said. “It was bad. But I still have faith in our team.”

“They came out with better energy than us,” Hayes said. “We put our heads down when they started making shots and we couldn’t make a shot, and the game got out of hand.”

Miami actually led 6-5 four minutes into the game, but then didn’t score another point for more than nine minutes.

Ballard gets start

Junior swingman Antonio Ballard made his first start of the season, replacing freshman guard Orlando Williams in the lineup.

Ballard finished with two points on 1-of-2 shooting and five rebounds in 22 minutes.

Williams, who had started Miami’s two previous games, came off the bench seven minutes into the second half and finished with no points (0-for-3 from the floor) and two rebounds in 13 minutes of action.

Eye-popping stats

The Owls had exactly one turnover in the first half and finished the night with five. Three of Miami’s four leading scorers, Hayes, Rodney Haddix II and Julian Mavunga — who came into Tuesday’s game with a combined scoring average of 32.5 points — combined for a total of four points in the first half, all by Hayes, on 1-of-7 shooting.

First points for frosh

Miami redshirt freshman Vince Legarza scored the first points of his college career Tuesday. The 6-foot-9 center from San Francisco hit a layup with 36 seconds remaining.

Adam Thomas, Miami’s 6-7 sophomore forward from Springboro, saw his first action of the season against Temple.

Thomas (who had one rebound), Legarza, junior Sean Mock and senior Michael Aluise all got into the game for the final minute.

MU tops in schedule

Miami leads all Mid-American Conference teams in strength of schedule so far this season. The RedHawks rank No. 34 in the nation. Other MAC teams in the top 100 are Western Michigan (No. 46), Eastern Michigan (No. 68), Kent State (No. 90) and Northern Illinois (No. 97).

Temple’s strength of schedule beats them all. The Owls come in at No. 18.

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