Friday, January 29, 1999
MIAMI 83, BOWLING GREEN 72
Wally, Frierson takeover 2nd half
BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer
OXFORD — This is not news. Dan Dakich knows that. But it has to be said.
“Those are two good basketball players,” said Dakich, Bowling Green's basketball coach, of Miami stars Wally Szczerbiak and Damon Frierson. “I know around here that's like telling Noah about the flood, but it's true.”
Dakich had ample reason to tout the Miami inside-outside duo; the two senior RedHawks were, as usual, a good deal responsible for Miami's 83-72 defeat of Bowling Green on Thursday at Millett Hall.
Szczerbiak scored 25 points — bringing his career total to 1,500 — and Frierson, after a slow start, recharged with 15 points in large part by making 10-of-10 free throws, including 6-of-6 down the stretch.
“They really picked it up in the second half and took over,” said Falcons forward Anthony Stacey, who scored 22 points but had problems with Szczerbiak's defense. “That's what good teams, good players do.”
But this wasn't just a two-man show. Point guard Rob Mestas, still battling a knee injury that was supposed to limit his court time Thursday, scored 12 points, including four on two drives to the basket as Miami opened its lead in the second half.
Forward John Estick scored nine points, as did Jason Stewart. Sophomore guard Jason Grunkemeyer made a three-pointer and two free throws.
Which is why Szczerbiak saw this as one of the RedHawks' best team efforts as they improved to 14-4 overall and 9-1 in the MAC.
“Tonight was a great job of everyone contributing,” said Szczerbiak. “We're starting to come around, playing more as a team. Everyone's starting to understand their roles.”
That included Mestas, Stewart, Estick and Refiloe Lethun ya hitting 10 of Miami's first 11 shots in the second half as a 37-37 halftime tie became a growing Miami lead.
The offensive balance helped negate the way Bowling Green chiseled through the Miami defenders, carving good cuts for easy baskets early until Miami clamped down in the second half.
“Whoa, they carved us up,” said Miami coach Charlie Coles. “We had a good offensive night. You have to win games like that. You can't be such a stickler that you say, "The defense wasn't good, so I'm mad.'”
You know Szczerbiak's a dominant force when 25 points and eight rebounds weren't the stats that drew the attention of his coach. The numbers that impressed Coles were 40 (minutes) and three (assists).
“I'm always impressed,” Coles said. ”He played 40 minutes. Everybody says get him a blow, get him out. My assistants are always telling me that. I can't figure it out. I just go ask Wally. He wants to keep playing. I'll probably run his legs off, but he wants his legs run off. I like the minutes. And he did a good job with his assists, does a good job getting the ball to people.”
Szczerbiak, who was 6-of-11 in the first half, took only four shots in the second half. He made three of them.
His three-pointer at the 12:49 mark began a Miami run that stretched the lead from one point to 12 when Szczerbiak stuck back a Frierson miss eight minutes later.
“I try not to take any bad shots,” said Szczerbiak. “That's how the game unfolded. Other guys were hitting, and I was just crashing the boards. That opened it up for guys.”
MIAMI NOTEBOOK
BOWLING GREEN (72)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Esterkamp 23 2-5 0-0 0-6 0 4 4
Stacey 34 8-12 6-6 1-5 1 5 22
Matela 21 2-2 0-0 1-3 1 5 4
Moore 29 4-6 2-2 0-1 2 1 11
Mcleod 37 2-7 7-8 0-1 8 3 11
Jackson 17 1-2 2-3 0-0 1 4 4
Bunn 6 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Cowan 32 8-8 0-3 1-6 2 3 16
Klassen 1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 27-42 17-22 3-22 15 25 72
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.643, FT-.773. 3-Point Goals:
1-6, .167 (Esterkamp 0-1, Moore 1-3, Mcleod 0-2).
Team rebounds: 1. Blocked shots: 2 (Cowan,
Stacey). Turnovers: 12 (Stacey 3, Mcleod 2, Moore
2, Bunn, Cowan, Esterkamp, Jackson, Matela).
Steals: 3 (Jackson, Mcleod, Stacey).
MIAMI OHIO (83)
fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Lethunya 8 1-2 1-1 1-3 0 1 3
Estick 30 3-6 3-4 1-3 0 4 9
Szczerbiak 40 9-15 5-7 4-8 3 4 25
Mestas 37 4-5 2-3 0-3 2 3 12
Frierson 32 2-8 10-10 0-1 2 3 15
Grunkemeyer 13 2-3 2-2 0-1 0 1 7
Stewart 21 4-7 0-0 0-1 1 1 9
Taylor 12 1-4 1-2 1-1 1 1 3
Ensminger 7 0-0 0-1 1-3 0 0 0
_______________________________________________
TOTALS 200 26-50 24-30 8-24 9 18 83
_______________________________________________
Percentages: FG-.520, FT-.800. 3-Point Goals:
7-13, .538 (Szczerbiak 2-4, Mestas 2-2, Frierson
1-2, Grunkemeyer 1-2, Stewart 1-3). Team
rebounds: None. Blocked shots: 2 (Estick,
Frierson). Turnovers: 5 (Frierson 2, Stewart 2,
Estick). Steals: 4 (Szczerbiak 2, Ensminger,
Mestas).
__________________________________
Bowling Green 37 35 - 72
Miami 37 46 - 83
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None. A: 5,267. Officials: Sid
Rodeheffer, Terry Wymer, Sam Lickliter.
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