OXFORD, Ohio - There was magic in the second half, but after spending a majority of the first playing catchup, the Western Illinois men's basketball team fell 67-57 at Miami (OH) Wednesday night. 

"We dug ourselves into too big of a hole, compounded by the fact we couldn't make a free throw or rebound," said head coach Robert Jeter. "Ultimately, we just fell short." 

The Leathernecks committed four early turnovers to start the game but were fortunate those miscues didn't spiral into points, as the RedHawks held a slight 4-0 lead at the first media timeout (15:57). Both teams struggled from the field -- evident by the six minute, 4-0 standstill -- before things began to settle for Miami. 

Marcus Watson Jr. capitalized on a 3-point play for Western's first points of the evening (10:22), and after trailing by as many as 19, the score read 28-21 at the break.

The Leathernecks finished the half with a 14-0 run, where Ramean Hinton accounted for half the production. The freshman was a spark off the bench for a career-high nine points in his first appearance with substantial minutes. 

In the second half, Hinton's steal and score put Western in place to take its first lead, and Will Carius delivered the shot on the team's very next possession. A 3-pointer pushed the Leathernecks ahead 33-31 with 15:26 left, and three ties with a pair of lead changes ensued. 

With his third trey of the night, Carius pulled Western within two possessions at the start of the final minute. He finished with a game-high 15 points, 11 occurring in the second half, while Tamell Pearson posted his second double-double in as many games on 12 points and 10 rebounds. Watson Jr. added 10 points and four assists. 

The Leathernecks wrap their appearance in the Miami Invitational with a Thursday tip against Mount St. Joseph. Game time is 1 p.m.