“What a great fight,” Miami coach Travis Steele said afterward. “We knew we were going to have a war. Obviously we were down Luke Skaljac (Friday), so we knew we were going to be a little bit short-handed. But it’s next man up.”
With Skaljac sidelined and Peter Suder battling foul trouble before fouling out midway through the second half, Miami relied on depth and late-game execution.
Freshman and Lakota East product Trey Perry — who learned he would start roughly 90 minutes before tipoff — delivered the game-winning layup with 0.4 seconds remaining.
“Trey was terrific,” Steele said. “He didn’t find out he was going to start until 90 minutes before the game. He’s uber confident. He’s tough as nails and he is a winner. We put the ball in his hands there that last play. I told him just not to settle, and he racked that thing right to the rim.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Skaljac is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday. But despite not playing its sharpest offensive game and losing Suder down the stretch Friday, Miami stayed composed.
“Stay locked in,” Steele said of his late message to the team. “You don’t have to play hero ball. Land on two on offense, screen, cut, get paint touches. On the other end, do your job, communicate on defense, limit them to one shot. Focus on each possession.”
Moments later, Suder echoed the same message in the huddle — something Steele views as emblematic of his roster.
“Player-led teams are way better than coach-led teams,” Steele said. “The messaging in the huddles was elite. Our group is unflappable. It’s calm, cool, collected, even during tight moments.”
Versatile forward Almar Atlason fueled the comeback with key interior buckets and a three-point play. Steele described the 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward as a mismatch whose versatility and basketball IQ allow Miami to adapt.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“He’s just very, very steady,” Steele said. “That calming influence — that’s who he is off the court too.”
The RedHawks believe their experience in close games will serve them well as March approaches.
“We’ve been in every moment,” Steele said. “Down by five, down by nine in the second half, up by 10 — how do you protect a lead? All those experiences will serve us really, really well in March because there’s going to be a lot of close games.”
Toledo (16-13, 10-6 MAC) enters Tuesday’s matchup riding a three-game winning streak after a 79-67 road win at Ohio. Freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. scored 22 points with nine rebounds, while Sonny Wilson added 21 points and seven boards. Austin Parks recorded 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Rockets controlled the glass, 45-36.
The Rockets have secured either the No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the upcoming MAC Tournament and have outrebounded each of their last three opponents, leaning on physicality and balanced scoring.
The focus remains unchanged for the RedHawks — get healthy, sharpen execution and defend their home floor.
“It’ll be on to the next one,” Steele said. “Obviously got to get healthy over the next couple days here as we prepare for Toledo.”
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