Thursday, January 13, 2000
Miami 86, Ball State 84 (3OT)
Redhawks make up for missed chances
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Refiloe Lethunya puts up game-winning shot.
(Craig Ruttle photos)
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OXFORD — Refiloe Lethunya got a second chance, and Miami got about 17 second chances.
It all added up to one big win.
Lethunya rebounded Anthony Taylor's miss and put it in with 1.4 seconds left to lift Miami University over Ball State 86-84 in triple overtime at Millett Hall Wednesday night.
Ball State's Shane Franks shot from three-quarters court at the buzzer but hit the top of the backboard.
Lethunya had a chance to win it in the second OT, but he missed two free throws with 6.2 seconds left.
“I was hoping somebody would get another chance,” Lethunya said. “It just happened to be me.”
Jason Grunkemeyer dives for ball.
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“I was glad that Refiloe got it,” MU coach Charlie Coles said. “You don't get too many of those.”
The win was a huge one for the RedHawks, who had lost two straight Mid-American Conference games at home in the last minutes.
“It's a big win,” Miami point guard Rob Mestas said. “This is our third overtime game. We lost the first two. Tonight it was a total team effort. That's what we need.”
The loss crushed Ball State, which was coming off a 99-93 triple OT loss at home to East ern Michigan on Saturday.
Ball State (10-3, 2-2 MAC) lost this one at the free throw line, hitting only 17 of 33 for the game. It was BSU's eighth straight loss at Millett.
Ben Helmers is held back after a scuffle with Ball State players.
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Miami (6-6, 2-2) won by answering Ball State's big plays down the stretch.
“There were 100 plays in the game,” BSU coach Ray McCallum said. “Bottom line is: They made the plays with the game on the line.”
Jason Grunkemeyer forced the first overtime by hitting a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4.9 seconds left. The points were the first for the RedHawks in 31/2 minutes.
Taylor forced the second OT with a short jumper with 36 seconds left.
Miami twice led by four in the second overtime. But Theron Smith's 3 tied it with 22.2 seconds left. Lethunya had a chance to win it, but his free throws bounced away.
Anthony Taylor on defense.
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Grunkemeyer's 3 with 39.3 left seconds left put Miami ahead in the third overtime.
But then Duane Clemens tied it by making two free throws with 11 seconds left.
Miami inbounded the ball to Taylor, who tied his career high with 28 points. He took it down the right side and forced up a shot.
“The big man (6-foot-11 Lonnie Jones) stepped out,” Taylor said. “I wasn't expecting that. I just put up the shot and said, "Please, somebody get it and put it in.'”
Lethunya did.
“I'm tired,” Coles said. “I enjoyed that. You had great plays on both sides.”
Taylor added seven rebounds. Grunkemeyer had 15 points. Mestas added 14 points, six assists and only one turnovers.
BALL ST (84)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Murray 52 9-13 7-15 5-11 1 2 25
Jones 42 2-4 0-2 0-4 1 3 4
Clemens 52 8-19 5-8 1-3 4 3 22
Hosier 33 0-5 0-2 0-0 1 5 0
Moodie 20 3-8 4-4 2-4 1 3 11
Jackson 19 3-5 1-2 0-0 0 5 8
Smith 46 3-9 0-0 3-14 3 3 8
Franks 9 2-4 0-0 0-1 0 1 6
Robbins 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Harris 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
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TOTALS 275 30-67 17-33 11-37 11 25 84
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Percentages: FG-.448, FT-.515. 3-Point Goals:
7-24, .292 (Clemens 1-4, Hosier 0-4, Moodie 1-3,
Jackson 1-2, Smith 2-7, Franks 2-4). Team
rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 4 (Jones 4).
Turnovers: 9 (Moodie 4, Clemens 2, Smith 2,
Jones). Steals: 9 (Smith 3, Clemens 2, Hosier 2,
Jones, Murray).
MIAMI (86)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Grunkemeyer 38 4-13 3-4 2-3 3 2 15
Lethunya 39 6-9 1-3 2-9 1 4 13
Ensminger 48 2-6 2-2 3-9 1 4 6
Mestas 50 4-11 4-10 1-4 6 5 14
Taylor 53 8-17 11-12 4-7 2 3 28
Jameson 5 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 1 0
Stewart 15 3-7 0-0 0-5 0 1 8
Helmers 4 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Reed 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 3 0
Edwards 3 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Allendorf 14 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 2 2
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TOTALS 275 28-65 21-31 12-39 14 25 86
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Percentages: FG-.431, FT-.677. 3-Point Goals:
9-24, .375 (Grunkemeyer 4-11, Mestas 2-6, Taylor
1-2, Stewart 2-5). Team rebounds: 9. Blocked
shots: 2 (Ensminger, Edwards). Turnovers: 14
(Taylor 4, Ensminger 3, Stewart 3, Grunkemeyer 2,
Jameson, Mestas). Steals: 5 (Taylor 3,
Grunkemeyer, Helmers).
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Ball St 32 27 5 13 7 - 84
Miami 31 28 5 13 9 - 86
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Technical fouls: None. A: 3,487. Officials: Tom
Clark, Sam Lickliter, Grzywinski.
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