Credit to Miami. Their backs are against the wall and they played with unbelievable desperation to keep their season alive.

We can rely on consistency from Hunter and Wilson but to make a run at this, we need to get two of the group of Miles, AJ, AJ, Elmore, Devon, and Ben to score into double figures. That's six players who have it in them and we couldn't find two today.

We forced 21 turnovers and still allowed Miami to score 85 points.

We shot 17 free throws in the first half and made only 10. That can be the difference in entering the half up a couple possessions vs the other team believing they have the upper hand.

Brutal moment of the game: We go down 49-41 but go on a mini run to cut it to one. Gabe throws wide of a wide open Clayton that would have been a dunk. Miami scores immediately at the other end and never looked back.

Safford was very impressive. I know we were pursuing him out of high school but he probably saw that Roderick, Miles, Mcday, and Marvin Price were already in the fold and went off to Wofford. He's only average 15 and 6 on 48% shooting. A big guard who could play the 2 with athleticism would work wonders for anyone.

I saw something today I've never seen at a college basketball game. Miami had three of their high school signees in for a visit and they were introduced at center court during a timeout. Very nice touch. How have I never seen more of this?

But where are the clowns? Send in the clowns. Don’t bother, they’re here.

Did anyone else notice that Steele in his post-game interview said, in so many words, that Miami is the team no one else wants to face in March?

Hah! Good on Fiami trying to steal our "the team nobody wants to play" mantra. They can't come up with anything original. Always imitating us. It is what it is.

+1

Miami just played their best basketball game in probably 5 years. Everything they threw up went in and we missed shots we've been making the last several weeks, in close mid range and outside. Name of the game is still basketball and they did more baskets. We've owned these bitches for a decade+. Eventually they were going to put one together against us.

Tip of the cap. Burn the tape. Get ready for Kent.

Hate to look back and have regrets....but we'd all take Safford in a heartbeat. Two of the four players you reference aren't even on our roster. It does sting a bit.

Sounds like both schools could use a little xtra $

It’s obvious we didn’t play that well, but to say we didn’t show up or didn’t want it bad enough is ridiculous. Our last win had 28 posts. When we lose it’s 90. If you ever played sports you always want to win. It’s obvious many can’t accept losing or never met Richard Nixon.

Yup. I thought Miami looked good. Like really good. Probably a combination of them starting to figure it out and play better (they've won 3 in a row afterall) and them really bringing it for the rivalry game. Their ball movement was tremendous. The play preceding them getting a technical for hanging on the rim? That was absolutely amazing all the way down the court. If we had made that team play all the way down the court resulting in a thunderous dunk I would have lost my mind. Now I need to shower after praising Miami.

I'm not saying we played great but Miami wasn't losing that game. Guys not named Dwight continue to struggle from 2. AJ Brown just doesn't have the touch with his shot right now. Clayton 4 bricks from 3 in only 8 minutes...I get so sick of having this same conversation. He is down to 31%...that is not the guy you bring in to just fire away threes with reckless abandon. If we want someone to fire up threes just let B-rod, Miles & Jaylin do it. They're much better at it!

We keep having breakdowns on defense when we attempt to double or sort-of double or whatever you call it when our bigs stumble up top then hurry back. Both this game and the last...we seem to have played an aggressive style defense that led to forcing turnovers but also allowing easier buckets in the paint.

You know it's an off day when even Quinn Corna misses a free throw.

We have a chance to wipe this out with a shocker road win at Kent, but I hope we just compete and show ourselves we're in anything. Then I hope we beat the living crap out of BG on senior night.

Anyone know if Ben and/or Miles are getting honored Friday? Could get our answer on if they plan to come back next year.

Considering Miami hasn't had a winning season since 2009 (Covid year excepted) and it's been a lot of losses this year, I thought it was a fine college basketball atmosphere. They responded well to threes from Safford and Lairy and they REALLY loved any basket Mirambeaux got over Dwight and Gabe.

I couldn't get a good look at the student section density but they had a promotion for Charlie Coles jerseys to the first 750 students and I saw a big stack remaining when I went out at halftime to the concession line.

Their band is lame.

Chuck Martin had a courtside seat and absolutely reamed the referee who made the technical call on the Safford dunk (which was a bad call). Referees would have been justified in having him ejected.

If there's a real promotion or opponent, Miami students still tend to show up well. UC last year, UC in football in 2017 (the last time UC visited Yager), ranked Buffalo, the return of Wally. Trouble is they never win those games. I do get the sense that if they could get on that turnaround the way Ball State has this year, the students there would respond big, but I doubt those alumni in their 30s and 40s would.

I'll say this. I thought this was one of the worst games I've ever seen DW3 play. The chubby guy played well against him and I counted four missed lay-ups where DW3 never even hit the rim.

Agree. Whether Miles and/or Ben return, I think next year will be time to turn the off guard/wing keys over to AJ Brown and Elmore. I've been less than impressed with Roderick as the forward in this starting lineup. He simply lacks the athleticism and quickness to create a mismatch. Safford would be a perfect fit for that kind of role.