The RedHawks (1-1) shot just 18 of 66 from the field (27.3%) in a 71-47 defeat Saturday, falling for the third straight time in the rivalry.
They still appear to be feeling the effects of losing Nike Sabande, a 6-foot-4 senior-to-be who transferred to Pittsburgh in the offseason. He led Miami in scoring (14.2), rebounding (5.8) and free-throw percentage (.820) last season.
No one reached double figures for Miami with Javin Etzler leading the way with nine points.
Coming off a 21-point, four-assist effort in the opener, Dae Dae Grant, an MAC all-freshman team pick last season, had only three points on 1-of-12 shooting.
Sophomore point guard Trey Calvin had his second straight strong game for the Raiders (1-1), finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and no turnovers in 34 minutes.
Sophomore sub center Grant Basile had 14 points and three blocks (along with a technical for doing a little crowing after one of his emphatic swats). Another newcomer to the starting lineup, transfer guard Tim Finke, pumped in 13 points to go with a game-high 11 rebounds.
Loudon Love chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. The senior needs four more rebounds to break Bill Edwards’ career record of 907.
The Raiders led, 32-26, at halftime and then surged to a 51-35 edge with 11 minutes to go, prompting RedHawks coach Jack Owens to burn a timeout.
Miami never got closer than that the rest of the way.
About the Author