MAC Sports Blog by VanDelay Sports

VanDelay Sports is sitting on press row for the MAC Basketball Tournament this week, and we’re running live diaries during the games. We’ll be updating this at most of the media time outs. Hopefully this will be somewhat entertaining and informative for those who care.

Posted this earlier, but seems pertinent before this game… ESPN is calling Kent State a lock for the NCAA Tournament. I’ve gotta agree they’ve got a great profile and they looked awesome against the Toledo Rockets last night.

Pregame - If this was Kent State versus Ohio I’d be calling for a 20 point blowout by the Golden Flashes, but against Miami… I don’t know. Teams typically don’t blowout the RedHawks due to their style of slowing it down, and it’s hard to count out a team on a mission like Miami as they’ve been dedicating their play in this tournament to Coach Coles who underwent a heart procedure earlier this week. Bramos especially has been fantastic in the first two games of this tournament, and Miami has been getting some great contributions from Tyler Dierkers who went off for an unexpected 11 points and 13 rebounds last night against the Bobcats. Miami needs a similar performance tonight as Quaintance and Scott are a handful for anyone to handle in the front-court.

Kent fans are out in droves tonight. If you’re a MAC fan do you root for Kent to lose to Miami tonight so the MAC can get two bids? I think you root for Kent to win so they definitely have an at-large in their grasps, but it’d be realllllly nice to see the MAC get 2 bids for the first time since 1999.

Wally World sighting. He’s sitting in the first row across the court from the Miami bench rooting on his alma mater.

15:12 - Defensive struggle early, tied at 4.

10:30 - Kent up 12-9. It’s Tyler Dierkers so far for Miami. He’s all over the boards and already has 5 points.

7:34 - 14-13 Kent lead. More Dierkers, he’s all over the boards with 8 of them already and he hits another stick back for 7 total points. Chris Singletary with a mean block on a layup attempt last segment too.

3:45 - 21-17 Kent leads. The Golden Flashes are knocking down a ton of crazy shots tonight. Spinning runners, open 3 after open 3. I won’t have shooting percentages until halftime, but I’ve got to imagine that the Flashes are shooting at a pretty good clip right now, it’ll be interesting to see what happens if they cool down.

1:38 - Miami ties it at 21. They’re just out working Kent right now.

Halftime - 25-23 Kent leads. Great half of basketball. Kent shooting 45% Miami shooting 42%. They’re getting their points in different ways. Kent is 3-7 on 3-pointers, Miami is 0-4. Miami leads points in the paint 22-12. Tyler Dierkers has been huge for the RedHawks with 11 points and 9 boards. The Kent State attack has been spread out. Nobody has more than 6 points or 3 rebounds for the Flashes. I’m waiting for Scott, Q, Fisher, Bramos, or Pollitz to really step up in the 2nd half. If somebody wants it this game is there for the taking. We’ve seen all 4 of those guys take over games in the past.

Couldn’t we have just made Western Michigan’s band stay here after the last game and let them provide the music for this one?

15:29 - 31-29, Pollitz is starting to heat up. He’ll be going to the line trying to finish off a 3-point play when we get back. If I’m Kent State I’m a little worried right now. This is what I would call a “Miami game”. Low scoring, slow paced, a lot of scratching and clawing for every loose ball on both ends. The Flashes would love to force a couple of turnovers and get out and run the break. A thunder dunk or two by Scott or Q would quickly start to turn this into a home crowd for Kent. Right now their fans are a little quiet.

11:54 - Back and forth, back and forth, Kent up 35-34. It looked like the Flashes had a chance to seperate there knocking down a 3, and forcing Miami into a bad look on offense, but a long rebound started a fast break for Miami and Kenny Hayes converted a layup. Coach Henderson going with a small lineup of Moosman, Hayes, Pollitz, Pollitz and Bramos.

9:21 - Bramos finally on the board with a tough runner and Miami goes up 38-35 as the Miami faithful erupt. Christian calls a timeout to talk things over.

7:52 - Kent goes on a little run capped off by a Mike Scott steal and an Al Fisher 3-point play. Eric Pollitz hits a tough 18 footer and we’re tied up at 40. The end of this one is gonna be fun.

6:01 - Kenny Hayes is fouled shooting a 3 but only hits 1-3 FTs. Pollitz muscles to the hoop hits the shot and gets fouled… He misses. 3 point Miami lead.

4:38 - Kent cannot convert on the contested fast break opportunities that they’re getting. Miami is having trouble converting in the halfcourt. It’s coming back to defense. 43-42 Miami lead.

4:03 - Crazy sequence with Miami and Kent players toppling over each other. Coach Henderson is very upset with the officials right now, I think for not calling a travel when the Kent player with the ball tripped over Miami players on the floor and fell to the ground with the ball. The play is currently under review. I have no idea why. Kent leads by 1.

3:44 - Tim Pollitz misses another FT (the front end of a 1 and 1) the missed free throws are really starting to hurt the RedHawks… still down 1 to Kent.

2:21 - Eric Pollitz shows his brother how it’s done. Hits both free throws. Ties it up.

0:33 - Singletary with a 4th effort stick back to go up 2. Kenny Hayes with ridiculous, great, circus layup that somehow falls to tie it back up. Someone’s getting their hearts ripped out tonight.

0:03 - MAC Player of the Year Al Fisher hits a leaning 18 footer to put Kent up 2 with only seconds left. Miami is going to need another miracle shot here like they got from Doug Penno in last year’s Championship Game.

Final - Miami throw two passes that get knocked out of bounds, getting them a little further down court each time. With 2 seconds left it inbounds to Tim Pollitz on the wing who gets all the way to the hoop but leaves his floater inches short. What a game! What an awful heartbreaking way to lose for Miami, but wow, this one was a classic.

VanDelay Sports is sitting on press row for the MAC Basketball Tournament this week, so since it’s Thursday and most people are stuck in work we’ll be running live diaries during the games. We’ll be updating this at most of the media time outs. Hopefully this will be somewhat entertaining and informative for those who care.

Pregame - OU won handily early in the season in Athens. Miami smoked the Bobcats 10 days ago in Oxford. What’s gonna happen tonight? I have no idea. Ohio cannot settle for jumpers and has to work the ball inside to Leon Williams early and often. On the other hand I think Miami would be smart to run their offense through Tim Pollitz as much as possible to start. If he can make some shots/pick up some fouls on Leon that would be great for the RedHawks, and if not he’s a great passer and the offense usually flows pretty well through his hands.

Wow. OU’s band is good. OU’s band is loud. I like it.

18:35 - Tillman with 5 quick points (FT pending) and the Bobcats are up 7-1. Though Leon Williams already has a foul…

15:43 - Ohio up 10-6 early. Bramos is keeping this one close by himself with 5 early points. A hungry Jerome Tillman is a good Jerome Tillman for OU, and Tillman looks hungry.

10:19 - Tied at 16. After going down 10-1 early Miami settles down and scores 13 in a row as OU misses some open jumpers and Williams has trouble finishing on a couple of open looks inside. If I’m Tim O’Shea, I’m already considering giving Devon Washington Kenneth Van Kempen’s minutes spelling Williams. KVK looks completely overmatched in every facet of the game right now.

7:01 - Tied at 22, this is a fast paced game for Miami, usually they like to have the score in the 20’s at the half. OU beginning to establish Williams in the post. He’ll be at the line when we come back.

3:03 - 31-30 Miami’s lead. Bubba with a realllllly long 3, Bramos is hitting just about everything that he tosses up. This is a really good game.

0:38 - Miami player touches the ball on the cylinder… refs miss it. RedHawks up 39-35. Can Miami really score 40 in a half? Bramos is coming back in, so if he gets the ball on this possession I’m thinking so…

Halftime - 39-35 Miami leads at the half. Can Miami score 70+ to win this? I said last night that I thought Coach Henderson plays at a slightly quicker pace than Coach Coles, and I think that’s coming true. Bramos was hot early with 12, Winbush surprisingly came up really big for the RedHawks adding 10 points as well. It’s the big guys doing it for OU, Tillman with 11 and Leon with 9. After coming up really short on the boards against Buffalo last night, Miami is leading 20-10 in that category. This game’s going to come down to the wire.

15:37 - OU hits a couple of 3’s before Bramos hits another running 18-footer. Leon splits a pair of FTs and Miami’s up 1, 43-42.

11:26 - Bramos and Williams are carrying their respective teams with Miami up 50-48. Bramos is working really hard on offense and making really difficult shots. Williams has been all over the glass especially on the offensive end where he’s getting the Bobcats some second and third chance points. It’s really early in the tournament, but both these guys are looking good for the All Tourney Team.

7:10 - Miami up 57-53, but what’s crazy is that the RedHawks have committed 7 fouls this half compared to OU’s 1. Two ways to look at this… OU will be in the bonus which could mean free points, or when this foul differential closes up (if it does) it could spell huge trouble for Ohio.

6:06 - Ohio has been working a lot harder on the offensive boards this half and thanks to another 2nd attempt they’ve closed the deficit to two, 57-55, though Kenny Hayes will be going to the line for 3 when we get back.

3:39 - 61-56 Miami, RedHawk ball. I can feel this one slipping away for Ohio. They’re pressing like crazy on offense. They’ve gotta go to Leon here.

2:49 - Miami blows about 5 bunnies in a row but keeps working on the o-glass and eventually gets it to fall. 63-56 lead. Leon Williams hits a beautiful falling layup while being fouled… nope, they’re calling it on the floor, that could have been a momentum swing.

1:07 - Dead man walking. Ohio with an intentional foul, EP hits 1 0f 2 and OU sends Miami back to the line. Miami’s up 8 with a FT coming.

Final - Miami moves on, for the second year in a row getting the better of the Bobcats in the quarterfinals. Gotta hand it to Bramos who went off for the second game in a row. Also, really nice contribution from Tyler Dierkers who was all over the boards for the RedHawks. Should be some interesting games tomorrow night. More to come tomorrow…