Wednesday, March 03, 1999
MIAMI 60, BOWLING GREEN 56
Frierson rescues RedHawks in overtime
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[estick]](/editions/1999/03/03/estick_140x168.jpg)
Miami's John Estick celebrates.
(AP photo)
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TOLEDO — When Wally Szczerbiak went to the bench with 1:17 left in overtime and Miami behind by one, most everyone at the SeaGate Centre thought it was over for the RedHawks. Not MU coach Charlie Coles.
“We've got another guy on this basketball team,” Coles said.
That other guy is Damon Frierson, and he saved the RedHawks. Frierson scored five of his game-high 22 points in OT to lift top-seeded Miami to a 60-56 victory over No.5 seed Bowling Green in the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals Tuesday.
The RedHawks will play Kent in the MAC finals tonight at 7:30 (ESPN).
Miami didn't play particularly well Tuesday. The
RedHawks shot 38.8 percent from the field, a season-worst 20-of-32 from the free throw line, missed 11-of-13 threes and blew a couple chances to clinch, but they survived.
“We were lucky tonight,” Coles said. “The ball bounced our way. That happens in sports.”
Miami was especially lucky to have Frierson, a four-year starter who plays with remarkable cool in the hottest moments of the game. He was slighted Monday when he wasn't named first-team All-MAC. But he's used to that.
“We've kind of put him on the back burner this year,” Coles said, “and you know what, he hasn't said a word.”
Frierson had seven rebounds to go with his 22
points, and he hit 11-of-14 from the free throw line.
As has been the case lately, Miami's three seniors carried the load: Szczerbiak had 16 points on 5-for-15 shooting but six turnovers. John Estick added 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting and 12 rebounds.
But as Coles said, “This was a tough, tough game.”
When Szczerbiak fouled out with 67 seconds left in OT, it sent BGSU's Len Matela to the line. Matela hit both free throws to give the Falcons a 57-56 lead.
Miami worked the shot clock to 15 seconds before getting the ball to Frierson at the top of the key. He was being guarded by Anthony Stacey, BGSU's star, who also had four fouls.
Frierson took Stacey into the paint, pumped and threw up a high-arching floater.
“I was just trying to get it on the backboard,” Frierson said. “I thought our guys would rebound it.”
There was no rebound. The shot swished, and Miami led 57-56 with 47 seconds left.
On the other end, Stacey missed a 12-footer with 22 seconds left. Mike Ensminger rebounded and got the ball to Frierson, who was fouled with 14 seconds left.
He made the first and missed the second, only his second miss in the last three minutes of a close game all year.
But Frierson made up for it on the other end.
He slipped in front of Dave Esterkamp as Esterkamp drove to the basket. Charge on Esterkamp. Miami's ball with 5.8 seconds left.
Frierson smiled when the play was mentioned after the game.
“I was trying to stay in front of him,” Frierson said. “I don't know if it was a charge or not. I was so happy when the ref signaled it.”
Rob Mestas was fouled a half-second later and clinched it with two free throws.
But Frierson was the one who won it.
“He took over the game,” Szczerbiak said.
As Coles said, Miami was lucky to get out of this one with a win. But a big win it was. Miami is 22-6 and 26th in the RPI. That sounds like an NCAA lock.
“We don't want to take it for granted,” Szczerbiak said. “We want to go out and win the MAC Tournament.”
It looked for a while like that wasn't going to happen Tuesday.
Miami was cruising along with a 19-13 lead midway through the first half when it came apart.
The RedHawks, who didn't make a turnover in the first 10 minutes of the half, made eight in the last 10. They also missed nine straight shots.
That allowed Bowling Green to go on a 16-0 run. Miami would recover and go into the break down only six, 29-23.
Frierson scored seven points in a 13-5 rally to start the second half. That gave Miami a 36-34 lead with 13:01 to play.
It went possession to possession from there.
Frierson gave Miami a three-point lead at 52-49 with 1:15 to go. Esterkamp cut it to one 25 seconds later.
Miami had two chances to win it. The RedHawks blew the first when Stacey, who led BGSU with 20 points, stole the ball from Szczerbiak with 20 seconds left.
Later, Stacey made the most another chance, driving the right side to hit a layup and tie it at 52 with 1.7 seconds left.
Szczerbiak missed a three at the buzzer.
Miami trailed twice in OT before Frierson saved them.
“He was terrific,” BGSU coach Dan Dakich said. “We thought he would be the key to the game and he was.”
MIAMI NOTEBOOK
Area college teams on TV
BOWLING GREEN (56)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Cowan 23 3-7 0-0 2-4 1 5 6
Stacey 45 5-14 9-11 1-8 2 4 20
Matela 29 1-3 2-3 3-7 1 2 4
Moore 45 4-11 0-0 1-6 4 5 10
Esterkamp 44 4-6 4-6 0-3 2 4 13
Jackson 1 0-0 0-0 1-1 0 0 0
Bunn 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Mcleod 34 1-10 1-2 0-3 0 5 3
Crespo 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Black 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 225 18-51 16-22 8-32 10 26 56
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.353, FT-.727. 3-Point Goals:
4-15, .267 (Stacey 1-4, Moore 2-5, Esterkamp 1-3,
Mcleod 0-3). Team rebounds: 3. Blocked shots: 6
(Matela 4, Stacey, Cowan). Turnovers: 12 (Stacey
4, Cowan 2, Mcleod 2, Moore 2, Esterkamp,
Matela). Steals: 7 (Stacey 5, Esterkamp, Moore).
MIAMI OHIO (60)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Stewart 23 0-2 0-2 1-7 0 4 0
Szczerbiak 40 5-15 5-6 0-4 1 5 16
Estick 41 7-10 1-2 4-12 0 2 15
Mestas 45 2-6 3-6 1-4 3 3 7
Frierson 45 5-14 11-14 2-7 2 3 22
Taylor 20 0-2 0-0 1-1 2 1 0
Lethunya 2 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ensminger 9 0-0 0-2 0-2 0 2 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 225 19-49 20-32 9-37 8 20 60
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.388, FT-.625. 3-Point Goals:
2-11, .182 (Stewart 0-2, Szczerbiak 1-3, Mestas
0-3, Frierson 1-3). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked
shots: None. Turnovers: 13 (Szczerbiak 6, Taylor
3, Frierson 2, Estick, Stewart). Steals: 6
(Taylor 3, Mestas 2, Stewart).
_______________________________________
Bowling Green 29 23 4 - 56
Miami Ohio 23 29 8 - 60
_______________________________________
Technical fouls: None. Officials: Randy Drury,
Collins, Dan Fouser.
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