Nov. 25, 2007

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ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) --Junior forward Michael Bramos scored a career-high 30 points, while junior center Tyler Dierkers was close to a triple-double with seven points and career highs of nine rebounds and 10 assists to spur Miami University's men's basketball team to a thrilling 67-60 win over Mississippi State on Sunday evening in the last day of the Anaheim Classic.

Bramos and senior forward Tim Pollitz were named to the five-member all-tournament team. The RedHawk duo join Southern California's OJ Mayo, who was named tournament MVP, Southern Illinois' Randal Falker and Mississippi State's Jamont Gordon. Miami was the only school with two all-tournament team selections.

Dierkers tipped in the go-ahead basket with 1:06 remaining.

Michael Bramos stole the ball at midcourt from Ben Hansbrough and scored for a 62-58 lead with 41 seconds left. Bramos made the free throw, then got fouled on the RedHawks' next possession and made both for a 64-58 lead with 26 seconds left.

Bramos finished with 30 points, going 9-of-11 from the free-throw line. Tim Pollitz added 15 points for Miami (3-1), whose only loss in the three-day tournament was to Southern California.

Charles Rhodes led the Bulldogs (3-3) with 25 points, becoming the 29th player in school history to score 1,000 points. He has 1,002. The senior forward grabbed 10 rebounds, putting him six away from going over the 500 mark.

For the first time this season, the RedHawks were outrebounded, 36-29. But they held Mississippi State under 70 points for the 38th consecutive game, the nation's longest streak.

Jamont Gordon added 18 points for the Bulldogs, whose only victory in Anaheim was against UC Irvine in the first round.

Miami blew all of a 12-point lead early in the second half, with Rhodes and Gordon doing most of the scoring for Mississippi State.

Hansbrough's 3-pointer gave the Bulldogs a 56-52 lead with 4:59 remaining before Miami outscored them 15-4 to end the game.

The RedHawks raced to a 21-9 lead, the first of two 12-point leads they had in the first half. From there, the Bulldogs went on a 15-8 spurt to end the half trailing 29-24.

Miami returns home to host local-rival Dayton at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 28.

NOTES:
Bramos' 30 points marks the first 30-point scoring effort by a Miami player since Juby Johnson scored 30 points against Marshall on March 6, 2004. Dierkers' 10 assists are the most since Alex Moosmann's 10 assists against UIC last season.

Tim Pollitz scored 15 points against the Bulldogs with all 15 coming in the second half.

For the tournament, Bramos averaged 23.3 ppg and shot 51.1 percent from the field. Dierkers handed out 20 assists over three games, and senior forward Tim Pollitz averaged 17.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg.

The win lifted Miami (3-1) to a third-place finish among the eight-team field, while Mississippi State (3-3) finished in fifth place at the Anahiem Classic.

Miami has had a player score at least 20 points in every game this season. Tim Pollitz scored 21 points against Xavier and USC, while Michael Bramos scored 28 against South Alabama and a career-high 30 against Mississippi State.