By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

UC's Taron Barker. (Thomas E. Witte photo) | ZOOM |

Miami went into its game with the University of Cincinnati knowing the Bearcats' size inside was going to be a problem.

When the referees began calling things closely, it became a bigger problem.

"I guess the refs thought those were fouls," Juby Johnson said. "That's the rules. I can't really say much about it."

Johnson finished with four fouls and was limited to 29 minutes. Danny Horace, Miami's best inside defender, fouled out and was limited to 18 minutes. UC went to the line 27 times.

"They played with a purpose," Miami coach Charlie Coles said. "They knew what they wanted to do. They wanted to go inside. That opened up some things, and Field Williams hurt us."

Miami's Mason hits the glass. (Thomas E. Witte photo) | ZOOM |

Miami hung in the game pretty well but never made a serious run at UC in the second half.

Coles said the RedHawks just couldn't get the shots to fall that would have gotten them over the hump. "You never can tell," Coles said. "When you're down seven and miss a shot, it changes things. We missed some shots that could have made a difference. I don't think we were out of it until the last 2‡ minutes or so."

The loss drops Miami to 3-6. The RedHawks have lost three straight. They play Evansville at home at 8p.m. Monday. That's Miami's final non-Mid-American Conference game.

Coles knew, despite UC's 5-3 record coming in, that his team faced a difficult challenge. Miami hadn't played UC since January of 1997 - Coles' first season as head coach.

"When you play the Bearcats, you're playing against good players and a very good coach," Coles said, "and a coach who knows how to push good players to be better. He doesn't fool around with them.

UC's Hollman. (Thomas E. Witte photo) | ZOOM |

"That team is going to get better."

Miami played well early - running out to an 8-1 lead.

The RedHawks let the game get away from them when UC went on an 11-0 run late in the first half to go up 30-19.

Five of the points came from the foul line as the Bearcats asserted themselves on the boards.

"We knew size would be a problem," Johnson said. "We prepared ourselves and played real hard. But we never stopped them."

UC got 36 points from its front line. Guards scored all but 16 of Miami's points.

"(UC) was in control of the game the whole night," Coles said.