Jan. 5, 2002

Stats

OXFORD, Ohio-Miami University's women's basketball team made a statement in its second Mid-American Conference contest, cruising to a 71-58 defeat of MAC West power Western Michigan Saturday in Millett Hall.

Paced by a balanced offensive attack and stifling defensive pressure, Miami seized early control of the contest, using five straight Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name) points to lead 9-4 by the first media timeout. The RedHawks, who shot 52 percent in the half, pushed their advantage as high as 24-14 while restricting the Broncos to just five field goals in the first 15 minutes.

Western Michigan, led by Kristin Koetsier, put forth a fierce rally over the final five minutes, netting six of its 11 first-half field goals during the span and closing to 33-29 by the half. Koetsier tallied a game-high 15 points in the half, while Miami was led by Kim Lancaster's (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) seven first-half points.

Miami regained the initiative in the second half, extending its lead to 39-31 by 16:49. WMU rallied briefly to close to within four but would get no closer. Miami, sparked by the inside play of Lancaster, began steadily pulling away and pushed its advantage to 61-41 by the seven-minute mark.

Led by Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) and Lancaster, who combined for 21 second-half points, Miami pushed its lead to as high as 23 points before Western Michigan closed in the final two minutes of the contest. Lancaster led the way, notching 18 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season. Cusick finished with 16 points and eight assists, while Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) finished with 12 points off 6-of-7 shooting from the field.

On the day, Miami, which improved to 8-5 and 2-0 in the MAC, shot 52 percent from the field and out-rebounded WMU by a dominant 40-24 edge. The win was Miami's first against Western Michigan since the 1997-98 season.

The Red and White, which has not started 3-0 in the MAC since the 1998-99 season, returns to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday when it faces the University of Akron in its first MAC road contest.