RedHawks Edge Past Kent State 96-92 in Overtime Thriller

OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University men’s basketball team edged past Kent State 96-92 in overtime Friday, ending the Golden Flashes’ five-game win streak. Peter Suder led Miami with a game-high 22 points and recorded the 1,000th point of his career. Three other RedHawks finished the game in double figures, including Eian Elmer (17), Brant Byers (12) and Antwone Woolfolk (11). Jalen Sullinger (20) and Delrecco Gillespie (20) led Kent State in scoring. The RedHawks improve to 20-7 (11-3 MAC), while Kent State falls to 18-9 (8-6 MAC).
 
With this week’s results, Miami has secured a spot in the 2025 MAC Tournament. Tickets for the MAC Quarterfinals in Cleveland, Ohio can be purchased here.
 
How it Happened:

• Kent State opened the game with a 5-2 advantage before Elmer recorded a four-point play after knocking down a three and getting fouled. Back-to-back threes from Byers gave the RedHawks a 14-12 lead with 13:27 remaining in the half.
• The RedHawks stayed hot from beyond the arc, sinking five more triples to remain ahead 29-26. Numerous free throws from Byers and a pair of Suder field goals extended Miami’s lead to 40-33. The Red and White entered halftime with a 44-41 lead.
• The Golden Flashes used a 10-2 run coming out of the intermission to claim a five-point lead at 51-46. Elmer and Reece Potter scored two consecutive threes to put Miami back on top at 56-53. Luke Skaljac drove down the lane and found Potter for a two-hand slam dunk to give the RedHawks a 60-55 lead, forcing a Kent State timeout with 12:49 to play. The Golden Flashes responded by evening the score at 63 apiece.
• Mekhi Cooper recorded a traditional three-point play after getting fouled on a layup to stay within one point of the Golden Flashes. Suder scored four points from the free-throw line to help Miami regain the lead at 70-69. Suder went on to find Antwone Woolfolk for a layup plus the foul to cut the deficit to 79-75. A layup from Skaljac and a three that banked in by Suder made it a one-possession game at 82-80. With just 13.2 seconds remaining, Suder tied the game at 82-82 with two free throws, and Elmer blocked Kent State’s final shot attempt to force overtime.
• Suder made a fading mid-range jump shot and added two free throws to keep Miami ahead 86-85. Elmer knocked down his fourth triple of the night from the left wing, and Potter put in a putback layup to give the RedHawks a 91-88 lead. Trailing 94-92 with 21 seconds left, Evan Ipsaro threaded the ball to Elmer in the left corner to claim a 94-92 lead. Cooper sealed the game with two free throws to push Miami past Kent State 96-92.

 
Game Notes:

• With this victory, Miami has reached 20 wins in a season for the first time since 1998-99.
• The Red and White have secured the program’s most MAC wins since 2010-11.
• Miami matched the most consecutive home wins (13) in a single season.
• The RedHawks’ last home overtime victory came against Northern Illinois (85-82) in 2022.
• Miami went 24-of-29 from the charity stripe, including Suder’s 10-of-10 mark at the free throw line.
• Miami shot over 50% from the field for the 11th time this season.
• The RedHawks made at least 50% of their shots from behind the three-point line for the fifth time this season.

 
Up Next:
The RedHawks host the Northern Illinois Huskies on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.