Spring Break
Miami nips Buffalo for 1st MAC win
Dan Kukla
Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Sports
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With the victory, Miami Head Coach Charlie Coles recorded his 200th win at the helm of the 'Hawks, and also moved into a tie with former Ohio University Head Coach Jim Snyder on the MAC's all-time league win chart with 176 league wins. After the game, however, Coles downplayed his accomplishment by drawing attention to the amount of time it took him to get there.
"I'm like the guy who gained 100 yards, but had 100 carries," Coles said.
All jokes aside, Coles did eventually hint at how meaningful the win was to him. Surprisingly, though, it was not the accomplishment itself that he was proud of, but what the
accomplishment signified.
"I'm very proud of the fact that I haven't won every game and there have been some seasons that haven't been quite as good as people wanted them to be, but hey, I'm still coaching," Coles said. "That was my life's dream. That is what I wanted to do. I'm proud of that."
As both players and coaches admitted, the victory did not necessarily look pretty. Although it was indeed a hard earned win, the game was sloppy as neither team played particularly well. Both the RedHawks and Bulls shot below 40 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free-throw line.
Miami was able to get out to an early lead that was fueled by a hot Kenny Hayes and the first zone defense employed by Coles this season. Hayes, who saw a significantly increased role in the game due to an indefinitely injured Michael Bramos, scored 14 first half points on his way to a career high of 20.
"I'm happy I got 20 but I'm more happy we got the win," Hayes said. "I could have had zero and still been happy about the win. The most important thing was getting this first MAC win and getting our confidence up."
Most of his points were scored on lightning quick drives into the lane, as Buffalo's aggressive defense all but eliminated the 3-point-shot. The absence of sharp shooter Michael Bramos complemented by the Bulls' relentless press left Miami with only one trey all afternoon. However, Hayes' slicing and dicing in the first half followed by senior forward Tim Pollitz's strong play in the paint during the second half made for a formidable inside offense. While Pollitz was largely ineffective during the opening minutes of the game, he was a force to be reckoned with during the second period of play. After the game, Pollitz attributed his strong finish to his ability to focus mentally.
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