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BOWLING GREEN — The Miami RedHawks had a chance to send Wednesday's game into overtime, but apparently the Bowling Green coaches had been doing their homework.

The RedHawks faced a three-point deficit with 6.3 seconds remaining when Kenny Hayes took the ball to his left, looking for an opening, either for himself or for teammate Tim Pollitz.

"Bowling Green did a pretty good job of guarding him," said Miami associate head coach Jermaine Henderson. "Kenny was trying to make a positive play, but BG came up with a great defensive effort."

Henderson filled in for head coach Charlie Coles at the postgame press conference because Coles had been suffering from flulike symptoms all night.

"Kenny was going to dribble off my ball screen," Pollitz said. "They switched it. Any time you switch a ball screen, the ball screen doesn't work."

Bowling Green's Nate Miller, who had been guarding Pollitz, switched with teammate Darryl Clements, who had been guarding Hayes.

Hayes picked up his dribble and Miller was on him. Hayes tried desperately to get an open shot, but finally threw it up in desperation at the buzzer. It didn't even come close to the rim.

Bowling Green coach Louis Orr said assistant coach LaMonta Stone, who scouted Miami, showed the Falcons "a 3-point play they like to run, on tape, and we were ready for it."

Numbers of note

The RedHawks missed 12 of their final 13 field goal attempts of the first half. ... It was a rough night for the Pollitz family. Although Tim led Miami with 15 points, he was 6-for-14 from the field, and twin brother Eric was 0-for-6. ... The RedHawks lost despite committing only seven turnovers, which ties for the lowest number this season. Miami also had seven turnovers in its 67-60 victory over Mississippi State on Nov. 25.

Twinbill coming up

The RedHawks return to action Saturday at approximately 4 p.m. at Millett Hall, where they will play Eastern Michigan as the second half of a doubleheader.

The first game will pit the Miami women's team against Northern Illinois, starting at 2 p.m. The RedHawks are coming off a 63-60 victory Tuesday at Bowling Green, where they became just the second MAC team to beat the Falcons on their home court over the last 40 games.

Both games will be televised on ONN.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.