Freshman guard Nike Sibande scored a game-high 17 points for Miami (9-7, 2-1), including two free throws in the last minute that capped a run of five straight by three players to help the RedHawks hold off the Golden Flashes after they pulled within eight points with 1:24 left in the game.
Unlike Saturday, when Miami allowed an 11-point lead with 10 minutes left to slip away in a 67-62 loss to Western Michigan, the RedHawks were able on Tuesday to stay focused and keep Kent State at bay in the game between two MAC East Division squads.
“We definitely learned some things from Saturday,” said Sibande, who also matched his career high with six rebounds for the second straight game and fourth time this season. “Guys stepped up and took on leadership. We were getting to the line more. We came together as a team.”
First-year Miami coach Jack Owens admitted to being concerned as Kent State (7-9, 1-2) slowly chipped away at the RedHawks’ lead.
“We tell the guys, ‘We have to be disciplined,’” he said. “’Up 10, down 10, even, you have to be disciplined.’ We stopped doing the things that we’d been doing to get the lead. It was very similar to Western Michigan. I told the guys, ‘We have a good team, but we’re not going to be great until we learn how to be disciplined.’”
Junior guard Darrian Ringo finished with 16 points for the RedHawks, who return to action Saturday when they travel to Buffalo to face a Bulls team that is 11-5 overall and 3-0 in the MAC East after beating Akron on Tuesday night. Miami is due to return to Millett to face Bowling Green next Tuesday at 7 p.m. The RedHawks edged the Falcons, 77-72, at Bowling Green in their MAC opener on Jan. 2.
The Golden Flashes made just two of their first 13 shots and needed almost 13-1/2 minutes to reach double figures. Miami, which went into the game ranked last in the 12-team MAC in scoring with an average of 72.5 points per game, put together a startling 30-5 blitz on the way to leading by as many as 29 points twice in the first half before settling for a 48-25 halftime lead.
“We definitely had a chip on our shoulder,” Sibande said. “That last game left a bad taste in our mouths. We had a point to prove. That was really fun. Playing together as a team, jumping around, gives us a lot of energy as a team.”
Kent State, which shot 60 percent from the field in an 85-69 win over Central Michigan on Saturday, managed just 30 percent (9-for-30) in Tuesday’s first half while Miami shot 54.1 percent (20-for-37).
“We came out and competed,” Owens said. “We executed, offensively and defensively, and kept a good team out of transition and off the glass. Any time you can get a win in league play, we’ll take it.”
Ringo led the RedHawks in the first half with 12 points, including a buzzer-beating layup on a drive down the lane as time expired.
SATURDAY’S GAME
Miami at Buffalo, 2 p.m., 1450, 980
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