It seems over a month ago that Ohio (18-12, 12-5 Mid-American Conference) took down Miami (15-15, 9-8 MAC) in front of a crowd of more than 9,000 people at The Convo. Since then, Ohio has gone from a middle-of-the-pack MAC team to a contender for the championship.
Miami, on the other hand, has stayed more or less around the middle of the pack. With one game to go in the regular season, Miami is 9-8 in the MAC, a record good enough to clinch a spot in the MAC tournament. After a three-game winning streak, the Redhawks suffered their most lopsided loss of the season Tuesday against Toledo.
Interestingly enough, if the season were to end before the final games of the regular season, Ohio would play Miami in the first round of the MAC tournament.
Here's what to know for Ohio's final regular season game.
Game Information:
Opponent: Miami
Date and time: Friday at 7 p.m.
Location: Millett Hall (Oxford, Ohio)
How to watch: ESPN+
Statistical leaders:
Points: Anderson Mirambeaux (12.5 per game)
Rebounds: Bryce Bultman (4.7 per game)
Assists: Bultman (2.6 per game)
Steals: Mekhi Cooper (1 per game)
Blocks: Jaquel Morris (1.1 per game)
Field-Goal Percentage: Morris (65.8)
3-Point Percentage: Reece Potter (51.7)
Free-Throw Percentage: Bradley Dean (85.2)
First Matchup:
Jaylin Hunter and Shereef Mitchell were fantastic for Ohio in the first game between the two teams, combining for 38 points, with both players shooting over 50% from the field. AJ Clayton also had a strong game for Ohio with five made 3-point jumpers. Ohio did have a difficult time stopping Miami's leading scorer, Mirambeaux, who went for 16 points off of Miami's bench. Ohio won the game 78-69.
Keys to the matchup:
At 305 pounds, Mirambeaux is a difficult matchup for the undersized Bobcats. If they can keep the Redhawks' leading scorer out of the scoring column as much as possible, the Bobcats will be on their way to their sixth straight win to close out the regular season.
