Miles was down big in the first half but was able to hold Allen to 23 percent shooting in the second half to force overtime and ultimately defeat the Yellow Jackets 72-64 to claim the SIAC Western Division title.
Miles stumbled out of the gates, committing turnovers on their first four possessions, and fell behind 14-0. Mykale Carter’s three-pointer gave the Golden Bears their first points of the half at the 14:18 mark.
By the time Miles scored their next points of the game on a Jordan Edwards converted layup at the 9:01 mark, it ended a 5:17 scoring drought that allowed Allen to build a 25-5 lead. Miles was able to trim the lead to as little as 10 points at 25-15, but Allen was able to extend the lead to 38-24 on Nakia Johnson’s three-pointer as time expired in the first half.
The Golden Bears were able to hold Allen scoreless for the first 7:04 of the second half, and this allowed them to close the gap to 40-36. Miles took their first lead of the evening at 53-51 on a Carter three-pointer with 5:12 left in the matchup. The game would see three ties, including when Spencer Pruitt’s three knotted the game at 60 with just 13 seconds left in regulation, sending the contest into overtime.
Alvin Miles’ three-pointer on the first possession of extra time put Miles up 63-60. The Golden Bears would never trail in overtime, with Allen drawing as close as 63-62, as they shot 1 of 9 in the extra frame.
Alvin Miles led the way for Miles with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Mykayle Carter added 14 points, while Corey Trotter chipped in 10 points but was a monster on the glass, pulling in 22 rebounds, accounting for nearly half of the Golden Bears’ 48 total rebounds.
Malik Lacewell led Allen with 11 points and was the only Yellow Jacket in double figures.
The win lifted Miles to 19-5 overall and 14-4 in the SIAC, cementing their position atop the SIAC West and giving the Golden Bears a first-round bye in the upcoming SIAC Basketball Tournament.
