Allen Roberts and Geovonie McKnight rescued the Miami University men’s basketball team from a monumental collapse Saturday night.

The RedHawks squandered a 21-point lead down the stretch, but Roberts made two free throws with 7.5 seconds left and McKnight came up with a game-ending steal as the visiting RedHawks edged Buffalo 58-57 at Alumni Arena.

“It makes the long ride home a lot shorter, I’ll tell you that,” MU coach John Cooper said. “We were just trying to survive. We’re in the last rounds of the fight, and we’re just trying to get through and keep the lead on the scorecard. That’s the bottom line.”

Miami, which improved to 6-8 overall and 1-1 in the Mid-American Conference East Division, tallied just four points in the last 10:19, all on free throws by Roberts.

The Bulls had the ball on their side of the floor with 4.1 seconds remaining, only to watch McKnight steal the in-bounds pass by Auraum Nuiriankh and run out the clock.

“The coaches told us to switch everything, and I just did my job,” said McKnight, a freshman from Middletown. “When I switched, (Quinten Rollins) had me, and I just made the deflection and got the ball. That’s what happens when you make the right play.”

Roberts scored 22 points and Will Felder added 12 for the RedHawks. It was Felder’s breakaway jam that gave the visitors their biggest lead, 54-33, with 10:20 left.

Buffalo (5-11, 0-2) responded with 19 consecutive points and surged ahead 57-56 on Javon McCrea’s two foul shots with 1:01 remaining.

“We didn’t play at all the first 30 minutes,” Bulls coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “We didn’t confront our opponent until there was about 10 minutes to go in the game. I thought we had good energy after that, but we didn’t close it out.”

McCrea powered his way to 19 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, four blocks and three assists for UB, and Cameron Downing marked 14 points. The hosts shot 37.0 percent from the field and sank 2 of 19 treys.

MU committed 20 turnovers, 11 in the first half, and ended its two-game losing streak.

“This is my 20th year of coaching,” Cooper said. “I don’t know how many times I’ve ever won a road game with 20 turnovers. It may be the first.”

Miami, which hosts Bowling Green on Wednesday night, shot 47.7 percent from the floor while hitting 5 of 14 shots beyond the arc and 11 of 13 free throws.