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March 6, 2002
CLEVELAND-Battling one of the league's most formidable inside games, Miami University's women's basketball team rose to the occasion Wednesday evening at Gund Arena, riding a well-balanced attack to a 77-70 defeat of fifth-seeded Western Michigan University.
The win, which set up a semifinal re-match between Kent State and Miami Friday at Noon, moved the RedHawks to 19-10 on the season and clinched the program's winningest record in head coach Maria Fantanarosa's four-year tenure. Miami, which won its seventh straight, reached the 19-win plateau for the first time since the 1996-97 season. On its longest winning streak since 1996, the RedHawks have not won 20-games since the 1989-90 season.
In a tight first half, Miami gained the early momentum and led until the closing minutes. After holding WMU without a field goal for the first three minutes, Miami jumped to a 6-1 advantage and pressed it as high as 17-10 by the 11:22 mark. Western Michigan, which hit just two field goals in the first nine minutes, rallied behind MAC Freshman of the Year Casey Rost and took it first lead off a Rost 3-pointer at 23-22.
Rost, who scored 12 of the Broncos' final 21 points in the half, helped push WMU to a 37-33 halftime advantage following two free throws in the closing seconds. Miami was led by Kim Lancaster's (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) eight points in a half that featured eight ties and lead changes. MAC Player of the Year Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) was restricted to six points in the half, while first-team all-MAC selection Kristin Koetsier was held scoreless.
Miami, behind Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton) started the second half on a torrid pace, draining 11 of its first 13 shots and seizing a 58-53 advantage by the 11-minute mark. The Broncos would use a 5-0 run to rally within 61-59 inside the seven-minute mark but would get no closer. Cusick, who tallied 14 second-half points, hit six free throws in the final two minutes, as Miami defeated the Broncos for the second time this season.
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Leading Miami were Lancaster and Cusick, who each tallied 20 points. Lancaster hit 10-of-16 shots from the floor, grabbed eight rebounds and dished five assists. Cusick, struggled in hitting 6-of-18 shots from the field but hit all eight of her free throw attempts while dishing four assists, snagging three steal and blocking two shots.
Cusick added to her single-season record with her 12th 20-point effort, while becoming just the second player in Miami history to score 500 points in a season. The junior needs just 10 points to break Miami's 20-year old single-season scoring record and just one more assist to match the Red and White's single-season assist record.
Western Michigan, which finished the season at 16-15, was led by senior Karen Deurloo, who finished with 24 points, including 11 straight late in the second half. Koetsier, plagued by foul trouble, contributed just four points and four rebounds while hitting 1-of-6 shots from the field.
The RedHawks, who will be making their 11th MAC Semifinal appearance, are in pursuit of their first MAC Championship game appearance since 1995 and first MAC title since 1982.
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