TOLEDO - Miami topped Western Michigan 84-67 in Friday's Mid-American Conference tournament semifinal to reach its first championship game since 1994.
The Redskins (20-8) meet Eastern Michigan (22-9) in the MAC tournament championship at 11:40 a.m. today (ESPN).
Miami is seeking its second berth in the NCAA Tournament in three years. The Redskins have lost in the MAC semifinals the last two seasons, but received an at-large NCAA bid in 1995.
''The last two years we lost early,'' said Miami's Devin Davis, who became the third player in school history to reach 1,000 career rebounds, finishing the night with 1,006.
''It was kind of hard because you always wanted to get back to that place we were at when I was a sophomore,'' Davis said. ''It's a dream for me to go back to the NCAA. One more step, and we're there.''
The MAC championship marks the third meeting of the year for the two clubs. Each won on its home floor.
Yet the most significant matchup for these teams may not be on the court, but with the coaches - one the teacher and one the student.
EMU coach Milton Barnes played for Miami coach Charlie Coles at Saginaw (Mich.) High School from 1972-75.
The pair served as assistant coaches at the University of Detroit in the 1982-83 season. Both are in their first season as head coaches for their schools.
''Milton is as close to me as any player I ever had because now he's a coach,'' Coles said.
Coles hopes to downplay the emotions of trying to defeat his favorite pupil.
''The first time it was strange for me because his whole family was there,'' Coles said referring to Miami's 82-77 loss at EMU in February.
''I think the emotions have (finally) worn off. Coach Barnes is a big boy now.''
Derrick Dial, who scored 16 points in the EMU's semifinal win over Bowling Green, says matchups with Miami always come down to defense.
''(Miami) has good talent top to bottom, and Devin Davis is a problem for anybody,'' said Dial, who scored 32 points in the two previous games against the Redskins.
''We're just going to go out there and play because all championship games come down to defense.''
Perhaps Dial had a premonition about Davis, who was unstoppable versus Western Michigan. Davis dominated WMU's Aaron Toothman and Russ DesErmia to score 24 points and grab 15 rebounds.
Miami set the tone for the entire semifinal in the paint, scoring 16 of its 32 field goals.
Miami also outrebounded the Broncos 42-21.
''Their quickness personified itself in scoring, rebounding and taking our cuts away from us (on offense),'' said WMU coach Bob Donewald.
DesErmia, who scored 21 points and had eight rebounds in Miami's 56-55 win at WMU earlier this year, had just four points and one board on Friday.
''DesErmia has not played well for us down the stretch,'' Donewald said. ''If Russ doesn't play well, we're so thin that it's hard for us to have an inside game.''
His point was never more obvious than Miami's first offensive possession of the second half, when Davis got a layup after Miami grabbed three offensive rebounds.
Miami built its 38-25 halftime lead through good shooting. The Redskins connected on 17 of 25 field goals (68 percent) and hit four of six three-point attempts.
Wally Szczerbiak hit all four of his shots in the first half and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Ira Newble believes the
second-half intensity of last Tuesday's 75-65 quarterfinal win over Kent carried over into this game.
Miami trailed Kent 37-28 at the half.
''After the Kent game we said we have to step up and play like that from the beginning,'' Newble said.
''Everybody was really excited about this game. (Even) I was really surprised because every shot was going down.''
WESTERN MICH (67)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Toothman 33 4-6 1-2 2-4 0 4 9
Vantimmeren 22 0-0 0-0 0-4 0 4 0
Desermia 22 2-3 0-0 0-1 0 2 4
Burns 37 7-13 0-2 0-0 1 0 17
Washington 37 4-18 3-3 3-5 3 2 12
Howard 1 0-0 1-2 0-0 0 0 1
R Black 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Johnson 32 6-11 7-10 0-2 4 3 20
J Black 6 1-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
Burgess 5 0-0 2-2 0-0 0 1 2
Cummins 1 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 24-54 14-21 5-18 8 18 67
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Percentages: FG-.444, FT-.667. 3-Point Goals:
5-13, .385 (Burns 3-5, Washington 1-4, Johnson
1-3, J Black 0-1). Team rebounds: 3. Blocked
shots: 1 (Johnson). Turnovers: 8 (Desermia 2,
Toothman 2, Burgess, Burns, J Black,
Vantimmeren). Steals: 10 (Johnson 4, Toothman 2,
Washington 2, J Black, Vantimmeren).
MIAMI (84)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Szczerbiak 36 7-11 1-4 2-9 3 1 17
Davis 34 9-17 6-9 7-15 2 2 24
Newble 27 5-6 1-3 2-6 3 3 12
Mestas 30 3-5 0-0 2-4 8 3 7
Frierson 34 5-9 4-4 1-3 4 3 14
Plum 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Allen 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Taylor 18 2-2 0-0 1-2 1 1 6
Henderson 17 1-5 1-2 0-1 0 2 4
K Johnson 1 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 32-56 13-22 15-40 22 15 84
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.571, FT-.591. 3-Point Goals:
7-15, .467 (Szczerbiak 2-4, Davis 0-2, Newble
1-1, Mestas 1-2, Frierson 0-1, Taylor 2-2,
Henderson 1-2, K Johnson 0-1). Team rebounds: 2.
Blocked shots: 3 (Davis 2, Frierson). Turnovers:
14 (Frierson 3, Mestas 3, Newble 3, Szczerbiak 2,
Davis, Henderson, K Johnson). Steals: 5
(Frierson, Mestas, Newble, Plum, Taylor).
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Western Mich 25 42 - 67
Miami 38 46 - 84
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None. A: 5,609. Officials: Tom
Grzywinski, Steve Skiles, Sid Rodeheffer.
Tournament stories
SEMIFINALS NOT KIND TO MIAMI March 7, 1997
MIAMI STRUGGLES PAST KENT March 5, 1997
SULLIVAN COLUMN March 5, 1997
HOT REDSKINS HOPE TO BEAT KENT THIRD TIME March 4, 1997
