March 14, 2008

Box Score

CLEVELAND - Miami University's women's basketball team advanced to the Kraft Mid-American Conference Championship game after defeating Toledo in the semifinals, 70-66, Friday afternoon. Senior forward Laura Markwood put in a lay-up with 32 seconds to play to put Miami (22-10; 12-4 MAC) ahead for good.

Toledo jumped out to an 8-5 lead with just under 17 minutes to play, but three consecutive buckets from senior guard Amanda Jackson gave Miami an 11-8 advantage with 13:54 on the clock. A three-pointer by Toledo's Allie Clifton gave the Rockets a two-point lead, 22-20, with 5:41 remaining in the half, but junior guard Jenna Schone hit three consecutive treys to re-establish a 29-25 Miami lead with 3:11 remaining. Still ahead by two points, 29-27, Jackson hit a jumper before junior guard Ashley Hawkins put in a fast break lay-up with seven-tenths of a second on the clock to send the RedHawks into the locker room with a 33-27 lead.

Schone led the RedHawks with 12 points at the break, while Jackson scored 10 points. Miami had only four turnovers in the first half and the RedHawks converted 13 Toledo turnovers into 16 points.

A lay-up by junior center Stephanie Ford increased the RedHawk lead to eight points, 35-27, just 24 seconds into the second half, but the Rockets fought back and closed the Miami lead to one point, 43-42, with 12:38 on the clock. Schone responded with a three-pointer to keep the game a two-possession contest. The Rockets again closed within three points, 50-47, before a jumper by Ford, a jumper by Schone and a free throw by Reed gave Miami its biggest lead of the game, 55-47, at the under eight-minute media timeout. The Rockets went on a 13-5 run, before knotting the game at 60-60 with 4:28 to play. Back-to-back lay-ups by sophomore guard Courtney Reed kept Miami in front, but a free throw by Clifton knotted the game again at 66-66, with 1:32 remaining. Both teams went scoreless over the next minute, before Markwood hit a lay-up with 32 seconds to play to catapult Miami ahead by two points, 68-66. On Toledo's next possession, the Rockets missed two lay-ups to tie the game and Markwood drew a foul, which gave Miami possession. After Toledo's seventh team foul of the half, Jackson calmly hit the front end of a one-and-one and then hit the second free throw attempt, with nine seconds left, to send Miami into the MAC Championship game with a 70-66 win over Toledo.

Schone led Miami with 20 points, while Jackson finished with 18 points, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Toledo had its best game from three this season as the Rockets connected on 12-of-20 attempts from behind the arc.

The RedHawks are making their first appearance in the MAC Championship game since the 1994-95 season.

Miami plays the winner of the Bowling Green/Ohio match-up at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 15 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net Ohio.

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