OXFORD — Reece Potter played his role off the bench perfectly Sunday afternoon.
Literally.
The Miami University center scored a career-high 19 points — shooting 8 for 8 from the floor, including three 3-pointers — and the RedHawks pulled away from Sacred Heart for a 94-76 victory at Millett Hall.
“Our bench. It’s what we came in there to do. We provide a lot of energy,” said Potter, a 7-foot-1 sophomore who has gradually found more time on the court since recovering from an injury last year.
“We were able to go in there, provide a lot of energy and come out as fast as we could — try to give us a boost off the bench.”
Miami (7-4) got that push after Sacred Heart surged out to a 15-4 lead, which forced RedHawks coach Travis Steele to call a timeout.
Potter scored seven of the RedHawks’ next 16 points, and Evan Ipsaro hit a 3-pointer to give them their first lead at 20-19 with 10:30 left in the first half.
“Reece is an integral part of the team,” Steele said. “He had a great spring. I told everybody on our whole program, our staff knows it, I think he had the best spring of anybody in our program last spring. I thought he made a massive, massive leap — body-wise, game, his ability to be like a versatile guy, inside, outside, all over the floor.
“Because like he said, he was more like a shooter last year,” Steele added. “Then he gets injured. He didn’t touch a ball for 5 1/2, 6 months. And it’s like, ‘Man, that’s tough.’ Then he’s got to be careful on how he lifts and all this stuff. Basketball is a rhythm sport. It takes time to get your skill right, and he’s got to do it in games — which isn’t easy. And I told him this before the season to start, ‘I just want you to know that you’re going to struggle for about a month, month and a half because you haven’t had any reps. We’ve got to get your body stronger. We’ve got to get you more comfortable out there.’
“He hasn’t played at his best, and he knows that. Like I told him, ‘Just let all that go and just focus on playing hard. Don’t worry about anything else. Run the floor, roll, those things take zero talent.’ Then it’s funny, like I said, how things all of a sudden work out, and he ends up with 19 points. I thought that’s the hardest he’s played all year.”
Kam Craft had 12 points for Miami, while Brant Byers added 10 points and seven rebounds. Eian Elmer chipped in with 10 points.
Luke Skaljac ended the first half with a half-court shot to send Miami into the break with a 20-point advantage at 50-30.
A two-handed dunk from Antwone Woolfolk brought the Millett Hall crowd of 896 to their feet, giving Miami a 57-32 lead 3 minutes into the second half. Craft later knocked down a trey to give the RedHawks their largest lead, 86-58, with 7:21 left to play.
“I thought our guys got off to a slow start,” Steele said. “And give Sacred Heart all the credit in the world. We had to call an early timeout. I think they got up 15-4 in the first three and a half minutes of the game. Then I thought our guys responded from there. I thought Reece set it. I thought our guys off the bench came in, changed the energy of the game — just all-around played hard.”
Miami made 17 3-pointers on Sunday, tying for third all-time in program history. And the RedHawks recorded 49 bench points, which is the most in a game this season.
“These are the games that always scare you as a coach, the game before Christmas,” Steele said. “I think you start to see across the country, not just basketball, as you see in football, obviously college football is going on right now, and NFL. Guys start thinking about Christmas — going back home.
“Particularly for us, this is the time our guys get to go back home be with their families, which is awesome and nice, but you want to be where your feet are. So, you see some odd scores across the country.”
Miami, which has won five of its last seven, returns to action on Monday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m. against Defiance College at Millett Hall.
