By Mark Schmetzer
Enquirer contributor

OXFORD - Miami finally found a way to generate some offense - its defense.

The RedHawks forced three turnovers while opening the second half with a 17-2 run that turned a six-point deficit into a nine-point lead on their way to a 76-61 win over the Wright State Raiders Thursday at Millett Hall.

The 54 points the RedHawks (3-3) scored in the second half were the most in one half since they scored 62 in the first half of a 99-58 win over Akron Feb. 10, 1996.

"We've been wanting to do that," said Coles, whose team snapped a three-game losing streak. "We told them before the game that we wanted to do two things. We wanted to build their confidence, and we wanted them to have fun."

Seventeen of Miami's points came off 12 Wright State turnovers.

"That didn't surprise me," first-year Raider coach Paul Biancardi said. "They've shown the ability on tape to take turnovers and turn them into points. That hurt us a lot. That's where they got their points, quick turnovers."

Miami junior guard Chet Mason recorded his second consecutive double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He also had two of the RedHawks' eight steals.

"We had to pressure them a little bit more in the second half," Mason said. "They were too comfortable. By pressuring them, we forced some turnovers."

Senior guard Juby Johnson scored 18 points, 11 on free throws. Junior forward Tim Schenke, who'd scored 15 points in Miami's first five games, scored 17 points, one short of his career high. Schenke's 12 second-half points came from a career-high four 3-pointers.

Miami took its first lead on a Mason layup with 15:14 left in the game. Mason scored nine points during the 17-2 run.

Wright State senior Vernard Hollins scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the second half. Raider senior Seth Doliboa added 15.

Wright State (1-4) led 16-8 midway through the first half, but sophomore guard Josh Hausfeld capped a 14-7 run with five consecutive points to cut the deficit to 23-22 with 5:50 left in the half.

"In the second half, they turned up the intensity, and we didn't match it," Biancardi said.

Wright State	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Severovas	25	0	3	0	2	2	0	4	2	0
Doliboa	32	5	10	4	4	4	1	5	3	15
Kock	26	4	7	0	0	2	1	4	0	11
Hollins	36	8	15	1	1	5	5	3	3	17
Wood	37	2	8	2	2	8	1	3	3	6
Poole	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Burleson	21	2	3	0	0	2	0	2	0	4
Boyd	23	2	5	2	2	2	1	2	1	8
Totals	200	23	51	9	11	29	9	23	12	61

Team rebounds - 4.

Miami	M	FG	Att	FT	Att	R	A	F	TO	TP
Schenke	33	5	9	3	4	5	0	2	1	17
Horace	22	1	4	4	4	6	0	3	2	6
Hausfeld	37	3	7	0	0	2	1	1	0	7
Mason	34	6	10	7	8	10	5	3	2	19
Johnson	40	3	11	11	14	3	2	0	0	18
Seals	7	1	2	1	1	1	1	0	0	3
Hatcher	9	1	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	2
St. Clair		0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Peavy	11	2	4	0	1	1	1	3	0	4
Van Buskirk	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	200	22	50	26	32	32	11	13	5	76

Team rebounds - 3.

Wright State	28	33	- 61
Miami	22	54	- 76

3-pointers - WS 6-19 (Doliboa 1-5, Kock 3-5, Hollins 0-3, Wood 0-2, Boyd 2-4), MU 6-23 (Schenke 4-6, Horace 0-1, Hausfeld 1-5, Mason 0-3, Johnson 1-6, Seals 0-1, Peavy 0-1). Technicals - None. Officials - Sauder, Wymer, LaRocca. Attendance - 3,365.