Brant Byers scored 18 points, Evan Ipsaro added 16 and Peter Suder chipped in 14 as Miami (1-0) outscored the Monarchs 50-27 after the break. The RedHawks shot 58.6% in the second half and turned 19 Old Dominion turnovers into 28 points to pull away before a crowd of 2,131.
“Going into halftime, we knew we didn’t play our best,” Byers said. “If we did what we needed to do and everyone did their jobs, we were going to come out on top.”
Old Dominion (0-1) led 45-37 at halftime and by as many as 14 in the first half, sparked by five early 3-pointers and 61.5% shooting from deep before the break. Miami grabbed its first lead on Almar Atlason’s right-wing 3 with 14:23 left, then broke a 58-all tie with a Byers layup and free throw at 9:16 and his transition 3 at 8:19 for a 64-60 edge.
“We knew they were going to be physical and tough,” Byers said. “We prepared in practice and were well prepared for the game.”
Atlason buried another 3 with 5:50 to go, and Lakota East graduate Trey Perry’s layup made it 73-62 at the 5:10 mark as Miami closed it out.
“The focus is going 1-0, really,” Byers said of the team’s focus. “Just play hard, execute and do your job, and the outcome will take care of itself.”
Antwone Woolfolk scored 12 points and Luke Skaljac had 10 with seven rebounds and four assists for Miami, which finished 50.0% from the field and 22 of 27 at the foul line. Eian Elmer grabbed eight rebounds, helping the RedHawks to a 33-29 edge on the glass and a 42-24 advantage in points in the paint.
“We knew we had to win the rebounding battle,” Byers said. “Staying aggressive and putting the ball in the paint after the 3s didn’t fall early was big for us.”
Miami shot 2 of 12 from 3 in the first half but hit 5 of 12 after halftime.
“We know we’re a good 3-point shooting team,” Byers said. “They didn’t fall in the first half, but as coach says, water always finds its level.”
Miami coach Travis Steele said Old Dominion’s early play forced the RedHawks to adjust quickly.
“They were the aggressor early, more physical, tougher and obviously made some shots,” Steele said. “Our defense left a lot to be desired early on. We left them open, but we got better as the game went on.”
Steele said Miami’s defensive execution improved after the under-eight-minute timeout in the first half and that carried into the second.
“We break the game into four-minute rounds. We won the last round heading into the half, which gave us momentum that carried over,” said Steele, who started his fourth season at the helm.
“Our guys play hard — that’s what makes me fall in love with them. They hustle, they anticipate on defense, and that leads to our best offense. We can score in a lot of different ways. We didn’t shoot it great from 3, but we still scored 87 points.”
Steele praised Woolfolk’s interior presence and Skaljac’s emergence.
“Antwone was tremendous — he was an animal down low, just a beast for us,” Steele said. “Luke’s a dynamite player. He’s become way more of a two-way guy. He can score, he can pass, he anticipates. I think you’re going to see him take a massive jump this season.”
He also credited Perry’s hustle plays as key momentum-changers.
“Trey Perry’s offensive rebound was enormous, then he created a turnover on the next possession,” Steele said. “It’s just a great example of how you can impact the game in multiple ways beyond scoring.”
Steele said he was pleased with Miami’s 16th straight home win and the atmosphere inside Millett Hall.
“You’ve got to protect home court — that’s incredibly important to building a successful program,” he said. “The crowd’s a big part of that. Our guys play better because of them. They’re like the sixth man.”
Asked what he wants to see next, Steele emphasized cleaner execution.
“Offensively, stop over-dribbling and don’t force things,” the coach said. “Defensively, we’ve got to execute better in the half court. We can’t give up that many open threes early.”
Despite five players in double figures, Steele said the RedHawks still have room to grow.
“We only had 11 assists — that’s ugly,” he said. “We need to be at 19 or 20. That’s when we know we’re humming.”
Miami continues its homestand against Trinity College (Ill.) at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7.
NEXT GAME
Who: Trinity College (Ill.) at Miami
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 1450-AM, 980-AM
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