Eian Elmer scored 32 and grabbed 12 rebounds while Trey Perry added 21 off the bench as No. 19 Miami (Ohio) completed the first undefeated regular season in the 80-year history of the Mid-American Conference with a wild 110-108 overtime win over host Ohio Friday night in Athens, Ohio.
Brant Byers chipped in with 15 and Peter Suder added 13 as Miami (31-0, 18-0 MAC) joined Wichita State (2013-14), Kentucky (2014-15) and Gonzaga (2020-21) as the only teams this century to head into their conference tournament with a perfect record.
Jackson Paveletzke had a career-high 37 and Javan Simmons added 30 for Ohio (15-16, 9-9), which lost to Miami at home for the first time since a 92-88 triple-overtime setback on Jan. 9, 2011, snapping a string of 14 straight wins over their MAC archrival in Athens.
Ajay Sheldon’s 30-foot 3 with 6:18 left in regulation tied the game, 88-88. Miami would take a 93-88 lead before Ohio rallied. Simmons found Aidan Hadaway on a cut to the basket to make it 95-93 in favor of Miami with 3:27 left. Paveletzke drained a rainbow 3 from five feet beyond the arc to make it 97-96 Miami with 2:33 left.
Simmons’ dunk with 40.8 seconds remaining finally brought Ohio even at 100-100. Simmons blocked Suder’s drive and the ball went out of bounds with 23.9 seconds left. After video review, possession was awarded to Miami with 12 seconds left on the shot clock. Luke Skaljac’s 3-point shot was short from the right baseline and Ohio grabbed the loose ball with 13 seconds to go.
Paveletzke’s floater in the lane just fell off the rim as regulation expired. Paveletzke’s layup 45 seconds into overtime gave Ohio its first lead since midway through the first half before Suder’s layup and free throw on a three-point play put Miami back on top 58 seconds into the frame.
After Miami took a 107-104 lead, Paveletzke hit a spinning layup and was fouled with 1:12 remaining. He missed the free throw and Miami clung to a one-point lead. Simmons put Ohio up 108-107 with 22 seconds left on a layup before Suder answered with two free throws 12.6 to put Miami up 109-108.
Paveletzke missed a layup with five seconds remaining and Justin Kirby grabbed the rebound to seal the game with 4.7 seconds left. Kirby hit 1 of 2 free throws before Paveletzke’s 3 was off the mark as time expired.
Miami claimed a 61-50 lead with just under 17 minutes remaining when Paveletzke led an Ohio charge, aided by Miami’s second technical of the game. Brant Byers was called for the technical with 15:16 left and Paveletzke converted both free throws to draw Ohio within 65-62. Paveletzke then drained a mid-range jumper in the paint to cap a 14-4 run and cut the Miami lead to 65-64 with 15 minutes remaining.
But Miami answered with a Perry jumper in the paint to begin a 9-1 RedHawks spurt. Miami built its lead back to 10, 77-67, when the RedHawks were called for their third technical of the game, as Antwone Woolfolk and Ohio’s Simmons exchanged shoves. After Ohio drained 3 of 4 free throws, Sheldon knocked down a 3 to complete the six-point possession and cut Miami’s lead back to four.
Moments later, Elmer was called for a flagrant foul and Ohio hit 3 of 4 free throws to cap a nine-point surge in 50 seconds.
–Field Level Media
