Brant Byers scored a game-high 21 while Antwone Woolfolk added a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds to keep No. 24 Miami (Ohio) unbeaten in an 85-61 win over visiting Northern Illinois on Saturday in Mid-American Conference play at Oxford, Ohio.
Miami (22-0, 10-0 MAC) finished the game on a 15-0 run and kept pace with No. 1 Arizona, which defeated Arizona State earlier Saturday, as the only two unbeaten programs in Division I.
A new Millett Hall record crowd of 10,640 watch Miami extend its school record home court win streak to 28 games, the longest active run in the country.
Trailing 52-47 with just over 15 minutes remaining, Miami went on a 23-5 run to take command on a day when the program honored numerous school basketball legends at the half, including Basketball Hall of Famer Wayne Embry and Ron Harper.
Taj Walters and Gianni Cobb both set new career highs with 17 points apiece for Northern Illinois (7-14, 3-7). Walters and Cobb were the only NIU players in double figures.
Miami forced Northern Illinois into 17 turnovers while committing just nine.
The RedHawks came in with the best field-goal percentage in the country (53.7) and the third-best 3-point percentage in the nation at 40,9 percent. But Miami opened ice-cold from beyond the arc, missing 14 of its first 17 from distance in the first half.
With Miami struggling to find their range, Northern Illinois took advantage. Cobb drove to the basket early and often, finishing the first half with 13 points, helping the Huskies build a 26-16 lead with 10:54 remaining in the half.
But Miami answered with a 10-2 run to close within 28-26. The RedHawks finished the half on a 14-10 spurt to take a 40-38 halftime lead.
Suder picked up his third personal foul 21 seconds into the second half but stayed in the game for his offense. Suder’s jumper put Miami up, 44-40. But an 11-2 NIU run gave the Huskies a five-point lead.
Makhai Valentine and Dylan Ducommun hit back-to-back threes to give the Huskies a 51-46 lead with 16:01 remaining.
Suder knocked down a baseline three and was fouled by Isaiah Washington with 12:31 left. Suder’s free throw completed the four-point play and gave Miami a 60-53 lead as the RedHawks ran away from the Huskies.
