When IPFW was down 14 points and Miami (Ohio)'s guards were driving to the basket at will, I wasn't sure the Mastodons had it in them to come from behind.
After all, Frank Gaines was having a bad game. The team's leading scorer, with a 20.7 average, went 3 of 13 from the field and finished with nine points. It ends a streak of 26 consecutive games of him scoring in double figures. And without Gaines being at his best, I didn't give much hope for IPFW.
But the Mastodons went on a 12-0 run. It stopped turning the ball over to the Miami press. Joe Edwards was aggressive on offense, and finished with a game-high 10 points. Michael Kibiloski got hot with three three-pointers and scored 9 points.
And then came the night's biggest play when, with 3.4 seconds remaining, Mario Hines slipped a screen, moved without the ball toward the rim, and Kibiloski hit him in stride for a game-winning bucket that gave IPFW (5-4) the 57-56 win.
Second-year coach Tony Jasick won't say it, but I will: It was the biggest win in his brief tenure as the head coach.
