Trey Perry made a go-ahead layup with 0.4 seconds left, helping No. 21 Miami (Ohio) remain unbeaten with a 69-67 victory over Western Michigan on Friday in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Justice Williams sank a 13-foot jumper to forge a 67-67 tie with 12.8 seconds remaining before Perry used his body to fend off EJ Ryans and went off the glass to convert a left-handed layup.
Miami’s Peter Suder scored 18 points before fouling out with his team trailing 57-50 with 7:03 remaining in the second half.
Almar Atlason scored 16 points off the bench and Perry added 14 points while making his first start of the season for the RedHawks (29-0, 16-0 Mid-American Conference), who remained the lone unbeaten team in Division I.
They have won a program-best 14 in a row on the road and completed a season sweep of the Broncos. Miami (Ohio) recorded an 87-76 victory over Western Michigan on Jan. 6.
Head coach Travis Steele’s frustrations boiled over at halftime, as he verbally abused the referees and knocked down a speaker as he walked off the court. Steele was whistled for a technical foul, with Ryans making one of two foul shots to start the second half.
Jayden Brewer collected 19 points and 11 rebounds and Williams and Ryans each had 14 points for the Broncos (10-19, 4-12), who have lost 10 of their last 13 games.
The RedHawks trimmed a nine-point deficit to one at 63-62 after Atlason converted a four-point play with 3:26 remaining in the second half. Antwone Woolfolk’s layup gave Miami a 66-65 lead and Eian Elmer split a pair of free throws before Williams forged a tie.
Suder made a layup in transition as Miami erased an eight-point deficit to level the contest at 49-49 with 11:02 remaining in the second half. Suder was whistled for his fourth foul just seven seconds later, and Williams responded by making three layups and two foul shots during a personal 8-0 run.
Suder made a layup to extend Miami’s lead to 26-23 with 3:05 to play in the first half. However, Western Michigan scored the last seven points before intermission. Carson Vis converted a three-point play to highlight that sequence.
–Field Level Media
