Dec. 29, 2007

Box Score

CINCINNATI--Junior center Tyler Dierkers scored a career-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field to lead all scorers, but it was not enough as Miami University's men's basketball team (6-6) was defeated by the University of Cincinnati (5-7) on Saturday evening at U.S. Bank Arena, 56-50.

In addition to his 18 points, Dierkers added eight rebounds. Senior forward Tim Pollitz recorded his third double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds to lead all players. Pollitz also dished out a game-best four assists.

The RedHawks used a 7-0 run in the first half to build a 15-10 lead with 11:57 remaining. Dierkers started the Miami run with a jumper and capped it with a three-point play. Cincinnati's Anthony McClain hit a jumper with 10:12 remaining in the half on the end of a seven-point Bearcat spur to put UC up 17-15. Neither team would score for four minutes until Miami freshman forward Nick Winbush knocked down one-of-two free-throw attempts to put the Red and White within one, 17-16. Cincinnati extended its lead to six points at the half, 26-20.

Cincinnati led by as many as 10 points twice, the last coming at the 15:24 mark, 34-24. Miami persistently chipped away at the Bearcat lead and put together a 14-4 run to knot the game 38-38 with 8:46 remaining off a junior guard Kenny Hayes 3-pointer. Dierkers accounted for seven of the RedHawks' 14 points during the run. That would be as close as Miami would get as the Bearcats went on to the 56-50 win.

Miami continues a five-game road stretch when it opens Mid-American Conference play at Akron on Saturday, January 5.