Aces drop 70-67 decision
K.J. Riley scored 20 points and Shea Feehan added 16, but Miami University hung on for a 70-67 win over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team on Sunday afternoon inside Millett Hall.
Riley was 6-of-12 from the floor and knocked down eight free throws in the game for the Purple Aces (6-7). Feehan hit three triples in the effort. Dainius Chatkevicius and John Hall added eight points apiece; Hall led the way with nine rebounds.
“Teams are just out-toughing us. We have to start making tough plays; we have to rebound the basketball better and take charges,†UE head coach Walter McCarty said. “I think we did a great job defensively, we just did not finish some of those defensive possessions with the rebounds that we needed.â€
Miami (8-5) was led by Dalonte Brown’s 16 points. Mekhi Lairy scored 14.
Evansville hit four of its opening eight attempts leading to an 8-8 score. K.J. Riley and John Hall posted the opening eight tallies. After Miami took a 10-8 lead, Jawaun Newton hit a pull up jumper in transition to tie it up.
Newton’s bucket was the start of a 7-0 run that gave UE a 15-10 lead at the 11:04 mark. Shamar Givance added a field goal and Dainius Chatkevicius posted a free throw before Newton completed the run with another bucket. On the ensuing Miami possession, Dalonte Brown converted on a 4-point play that got the RedHawks back within a point.
Over the final 10 minutes of the half, UE never gave up the lead. Miami tied it up on two occasions but with the game tied at 27-27 with under five minutes left, the Aces went on an 8-4 run to take a 35-31 halftime advantage. Shea Feehan recorded eight points as the Aces pushed their way to the lead. Riley led the team with nine tallies in the first half.
In the early moments of the second half, Evan Kuhlman found Hall open underneath the basket for a layup that gave UE its largest lead of the game at 42-35. Miami fought back with a 12-0 stretch that gave them a 47-42 lead inside of 12 minutes remaining. Mekhi Lairy, a native of Evansville, had six points in the run.
A Givance bucket got UE back on track, but Miami stretched its lead to 50-44. Midway through the second half, Dainius Chatkevicius posted back-to-back field goals to get Evansville within a single point at 52-51. The RedHawks added two buckets to go up 56-51 before Shea Feehan took over. His 3-pointer capped off an 8-0 run that gave UE a 59-56 lead with five minutes on the clock.
Miami ended the stretch when Jalen Adaway connected from outside. On the next Aces possession, Feehan put UE back in front with a pair of free throws. The back-and-forth play continued when Lairy gave MU a 63-61 lead with four minutes on the clock before a free throw made it a 3-point game.
K.J. Riley connected on an and-one that tied it up at 64-64, but the RedHawks went back in front on their next trip down the floor. They would hang onto the lead for the duration as a last-second shot by Riley fell short giving the RedHawks the 70-67 win.
Evansville’s defense was solid, holding Miami to 38.1% shooting. UE finished the game at 46.8%. The RedHawks finished with a 44-30 advantage on the glass.
On January 2, the Aces open up Missouri Valley Conference play with the annual West Side Night contest against Drake. Fans can get vouchers to purchase $5 tickets to the game at several West Side locations. Game time on Wednesday is 6 p.m.
