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March 4, 2003
OXFORD, Ohio-Miami University's women's basketball team finished the 2002-03 regular-season in an appropriate manner Tuesday night, rallying from a 10-point halftime deficit and pulling out an 89-81 overtime thriller over Marshall University. The win clinched Miami's first Mid-American Conference East Division title and advances Miami, which earned the No. 2 seed for the MAC Tournament, directly to Cleveland for the MAC Quarterfinals.
Still shaking off the emotions of a pregame tribute for the senior class, the RedHawks started off slowly and found themselves trailing 8-3 by the 16-minute mark. Back-to-back 3-point field goals by Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name) and Beth Roederer (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) brought the Red and White back to life, however, and the score was knotted at 11-11 with less than 14 minutes left. Marshall responded with a Christina Harbin 3-pointer and carried a three-point advantage into the second media timeout at11:39.
With Miami struggling on the offensive end and Marshall controlling the offensive glass on its own end, the Thundering Herd powered its way to a 24-15 edge by the seven-minute mark. The lead was extended into double digits by the five-minute mark, as Miami struggled through a drought in which it scored just four points over a six-minute span. The RedHawks attempted to assemble a rally over the final 2:55 of the half but found the going difficult against a Marshall team that shot 50 percent from the field and 67 percent from 3-point range. The contest went into the half with the Thundering Herd protecting a stout 39-29 advantage.
Sparked by five unanswered points from Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), who spent much of the first half in foul trouble, Miami rallied to within five points to start the second half. Marshall remained hot from the field, though, and its lead teetered between five and seven points over the first five minutes of the half. The RedHawks continued to press, and a Cusick trey at 14:09 closed the margin to just one point. After the Herd pushed its advantage back out to three points, Beth Roederer (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) knotted the score at 54-54 with a 3-pointer and Cusick put the RedHawks in front, 56-54, with a layup following a Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) steal.
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The lead swayed back-and-forth over the next two minutes but a Roederer trey followed by a Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) three-point play gave the Red and White its largest lead of the game at 64-59 with under eight minutes to play. Marshall stormed back quickly, knotting the score at 65-65 by the 5:50 mark and regaining the lead with a pair of free throws at 4:58. The Herd run continued and by 3:28, Miami, which scored just two points over a more than three-minute span, found itself staring down a 71-67 deficit.
Seven straight points from Day brought Miami storming back and a free throw with 1:58 that completed a three-point play put Miami in front 74-73. Marshall followed with a three-point play of its own, but a Cindi Merrill (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) bucket knotted the score at 76-76 with 1:04 to play. Both Miami and Marshall had chances to break the stalemate, but neither converted and the game went to overtime.
Marshall scored a quick bucket off the tip to take the lead in overtime, but Day tied up the score again on Miami's next possession. After a Herd free three throw and jumper, Miami found itself down again, trailing 81-78 with under four minutes to play. Merrill netted a layup to close the margin to a point and a Day bucket as the shot clock expired put the RedHawks back in front with under two minutes to play. Day iced four straight free throws over the next 40 seconds to put Miami up by five and Roederer, who finished with a career-high 22 points, put the icing on the cake with three more free throws.
Miami was led by the trio of Day, Roederer and Cusick. Day poured in a season-high 24 points, while Roederer added 22 and Cusick contributed 18 points, eight assists and four steals. Lancaster, in her first game back from a knee injury, added 12 points off 5-of-7 shooting.
The RedHawks return to action on March 12 at 5:30 p.m. when they takes on an opponent yet to be determined.
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