MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) -- Nathan Peavy's rebound basket as time expired gave Miami (Ohio) a 54-52 victory over Ball State on Wednesday night.
Peavy, standing alone in the lane, grabbed the ball after a miss by Chet Mason from almost half-court. He quickly put up an 8-footer that went through the net to give the RedHawks the victory.
Referee Tom Clark ruled that Peavy's shot was good, although officials were unable to review the play at the scorer's table because the game was not televised.
Ball State coach Tim Buckley watched a tape of the final play in the locker room after the game and said the game should have gone to overtime.
"The ball's in his hands, the light (behind the backboard) is on, the horn's off. I've seen the tape, I saw the game. That's what happened."
The loss knocked the Cardinals (12-8, 7-5 MAC West) into a three-way tie for second place, a half-game behind Western Michigan. But Miami (15-5, 10-2) remained in first place in the MAC East.
Ball State led 52-48 with 2:50 to go, but Miami tied the game on baskets by William Hatcher with 1:10 remaining and Danny Horace with 16 seconds left. A miss by Ball State's Dennis Trammell with 6 seconds to go set up the desperation heave by Mason and the winning shot by Peavy.
Hatcher led Miami with 16 points. Trammell and Peyton Stovall had 13 apiece for Ball State.
