Bowling Green Upsets Miami Ohio

February 20, 1999 / 8:58 PM EST / AP

Miami of Ohio's latest visit to the Top 25 will likely be a short one.

Now the RedHawks are just hoping to hang on to the top spot in the Mid-American Conference.

Bowling Green took advantage of clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch by backup Keith McLeod and held off No. 25 Miami 69-58 Saturday, once again foiling the RedHawks' effort to clinch the MAC regular season title and top seed in the league tournament.

Miami (19-6 overall, 14-3 MAC), which lost at Toledo on Wednesday, has dropped two straight since rejoining the rankings for the first time since November. The RedHawks close out the regular season Wednesday against Kent.

"Nothing has happened to jar us. We are in first place in the Mid-American Conference. That is quite an accomplishment," Miami coach Charlie Coles said after the loss. "Now we have to get back to playing basketball. We have just been smacked around a little bit."

The Falcons (16-9, 11-6) remain in the race for one of the top four spots in the league and host of a MAC tournament quarterfinal game.

"I thought the crowd and our seniors just set a tone from the start of the basketball game that it was going to be very difficult for anyone to come in here and beat us. But if anyone is going to be able to do it, it would be Miami, as good a team as they are," Bowling Green coach Dan Dakich said. "I thought we showed a lot of toughness and resiliency hanging out to win the ball game."

Bowling Green led throughout the second half, but Miami never let the Falcons get too far ahead. The RedHawks pulled to within 59-53 with 2:03 remaining on a pair of free throws by Wally Szczerbiak. McLeod took over the rest of the way, going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

McLeod, 10-for-10 from the line for the game, and Kirk Cowan each scored 14 to lead Bowling Green while Anthony Stacey scored 12 and Dave Esterkamp added 11.

Szczerbiak scored 27 and Damon Frierson added 12 points for the RedHawks. They were the only Miami players to finish in double figures.

"They played real intense and spirited and we just couldn't crack through," Szczerbiak said. "We kind of knocked on the door a couple times, but it was tough trying to break that lead."

Miami outrebounded Bowling Green 33-24, but the Falcons outshot the RedHawks. Bowling Green shot 54 percent (23-for-43) from the field and 93 percent from the free-throw line, including 14-of-15 free throws in the second half. Miami shot 39 percent (21-for-54) from the field.

Bowling Green finishes the regular season Wednesday at Marshall.