By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

OXFORD - Comfort is not an option with the Miami RedHawks. The RedHawks opened up a first-half, 25-point lead over the NAIA Ohio Dominican Panthers, then had to hold on down the stretch before escaping with a 67-59 win at Millett Hall Monday night.

Miami's Nathan Peavy gets fouled by Ohio Domincan's Micah Stith. (Thomas E. Witte photo) | ZOOM |

"We got too comfortable with the lead," said senior guard Juby Johnson, who sank four free throws in the final 31 seconds after the Panthers cut Miami's lead to four points. "We slacked up. We've got to learn to bury a team. We can do that, but we can't be too lackadaisical."

Miami improved to 2-0 for the first time since the 1998-1999 Sweet Sixteen team opened the season with four consecutive wins. The RedHawks extended their winning streak in home openers to 13.

"We'll take it," coach Charlie Coles said. "Last year, we were 0-2 at this time."

The RedHawks are off for eight days before they open a stretch of four games in nine days at Dayton on Dec. 3. Their next home game is against Xavier on Dec. 9.

Johnson scored a game-high 19 points. Danny Horace recorded his second double-double in two games with 11 points and 14 rebounds, and Chet Mason added 17 points, 14 in the first half. Mason was scoreless in the second half until the last 10 seconds.

The Panthers, who are coached by Oxford Talawanda graduate Dan Priest, outrebounded Miami, 42-38.

"We fell asleep, and we didn't rebound," Coles said. "That hurt."

Johnson, who was named MAC East Division Player of the Week earlier in the day, needs five points to become the 28th player in Miami history to score at least 1,000 points.

Senior Gene Seals, who missed almost the first four weeks of practice with a knee injury, made his first appearance of the season with 1:01 left in the first half.

Ohio Dom.	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Stith	22	1	7	0	0	7	1	5	2	2
Fiebig	34	2	9	2	2	4	0	1	2	8
Renner	34	3	8	1	2	8	2	3	4	7
Lyle	33	6	12	2	2	6	2	3	3	15
Massey	32	3	14	4	5	3	0	5	2	11
Krueger	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
Nye	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Gossett	12	0	2	4	4	2	0	3	2	4
Smith	24	4	5	3	5	9	1	1	0	12
Totals	200	19	57	16	20	42	7	24	15	59

Team rebounds - 3.

Miami	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Schenke	24	2	6	1	2	4	3	1	1	6
Horace	31	1	8	9	12	14	1	1	3	11
Hausfeld	34	1	7	1	2	2	1	4	0	4
Mason	30	5	8	6	8	5	5	2	2	17
Johnson	31	5	11	7	9	2	1	3	3	19
Seals	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Hatcher	16	0	3	0	0	2	1	1	0	0
St. Clair	7	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	1	0
Peavy	17	4	6	1	2	2	0	2	1	10
Van Buskirk	9	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	1	0
Totals	200	18	51	25	35	38	13	20	12	67

Team rebounds - 6.

Ohio Dominican	20	39	-59
Miami	40	27	-67

3-pointers - Ohio Dominican 5-23 (Stith 0-2, Fiebig 2-8, Lyle 1-5, Massey 1-7, Smith 1-1), Miami 6-25 (Schenke 1-4, Horace 0-1, Hausfeld 1-6, Mason 1-3, Johnson 2-6, Hatcher 0-2, St. Clair 0-2, Peavy 1-1). Technicals - None. Officials - Lickliter, Drury, Jackson. Attendance - 3053.