Miami (Ohio) advanced to 29-0 in dramatic fashion on Friday night, as Trey Perry lifted the RedHawks to a 69-67 win at Western Michigan with a game-winning layup in the final second. The win brings Miami within two victories of completing a perfect regular season.
It took everything the RedHawks could muster amid adverse circumstances on the road to avoid what would have been a potentially devastating Quad 4 loss. Miami didn’t earn its first lead of the second half until the 1:45 mark as it navigated life without two stars. Leading scorer Peter Suder fouled out with 7:03 remaining and the RedHawks down 57-50. He had 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting, and his departure after just 27 minutes of playing time left the RedHawks in a bind.
The Redhawks also played without starting point guard Luke Skaljac due to injury. But when the pressure was on, Miami demonstrated the clutch gene that has been part of its DNA all season. Perry finished with 14 points on 6 of 8 shooting. Almar Atlason added 16 points, including 12 in the second half. His 4-point play with 3:26 remaining sliced a 5-point deficit to just one.
Miami entered as an 11.5-point favorite but struggled from the jump as Western Michigan built a 6-point lead in the opening minutes. WMU closed the first half on a 7-0 run as Miami coach Travis Steele began to take exception with the officiating.
He ultimately received a technical foul and went to the locker in a fit of rage. Western Michigan then built a 9-point lead before Miami figured out a way to claw back and keep its storybook start alive. The RedHawks close the regular season next week against Toledo and Ohio as they seek to become the first team since Gonzaga in 2021 to finish the regular season unbeaten.
