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Feb. 26, 2002
BUFFALO, N.Y.-Miami University's women's basketball team shook of a tough first half with a stellar second-half effort, knocking off the University at Buffalo, 80-65, in both teams' regular-season finale.
With the win, the RedHawks finished regular-season play in a fourth-place tie with Western Michigan in the final MAC standings and earned the No. 4 seed for the upcoming MAC Tournament via a head-to-head win over the Broncos in January. The 11 MAC wins earned by Miami this season are the highest total in head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure.
Buffalo, which entered the contest with the league's lowest scoring offense and defense, controlled the tempo during the first 10 minutes of the first half, and the score stood at a characteristic 10-10 with 11:54 remaining. Following a Hillary Beck (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) 3-pointer at 8:32 Miami seized its largest lead of the first half at 19-16, but it wouldn't last long.
Behind a dazzling display of offense, the suddenly red-hot Bulls, who shot a blistering 59 percent from the field in the first half, assembled a 17-5 run over the next five minutes to claim a commanding 33-24 advantage with three minutes remaining. Miami's defense finally caught up with the smoldering Bulls over the final three minutes, and, sparked by seven consecutive points from Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), the Red and White rallied within 35-33 by the half.
Pacing Miami, which netted 6-of-12 first-half 3-pointers, was Cusick with nine points and three assists. Leading the Bulls, who hit just one trey, was junior Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe, who totaled 13 first-half points. In all, the first half encompassed five lead changes and five ties.
Miami opened the second half with a flurry, scoring the first seven points and surging to a 40-35 advantage before a Buffalo timeout at 18:22. The timeout proved valuable, as the Bulls reeled off five unanswered points to knot the score at 40-40 by the 17-minute mark. Buffalo continued its momentum, regaining the lead and pushing its advantage as high as 46-43 with 14 minutes to play.
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Cusick's Miami record 69th 3-pointer of the season put the Red and White back in front at 11:13 and sparked an 11-3 RedHawk run that pushed Miami's advantage to a game-high nine points at 60-51. Buffalo regrouped once again, closing within four points following a Virginia Jennings 3-pointer. Miami's Beth Roederer (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) retaliated with a 3-pointer of her own on the next possession, and the RedHawks never looked back.
Miami (17-10, 11-5 MAC) was led by Cusick, who netted her third consecutive and 11th 20-point game of the season with 22. Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton) turned in her second consecutive double-digit effort, recording 14 points. On the night, Miami shot 55 percent from the field, including 65 percent in the second half, and hit 10-of-20 3-point field goals.
Buffalo, which dropped to 9-18 and 4-12 in the MAC, was led by McMeeken-Ruscoe's 22 points.
The RedHawks, who enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak, begin Mid-American Conference postseason action Saturday when they host No. 13 seed Akron in Millett Hall. Tip-off is scheduled to take place 30 minutes following the 3 p.m. men's game.
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