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Nov. 24, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich.-Behind a career-high 36 points from senior guard Heather Cusick, Miami University's women's basketball team claimed the Spartan Chevrolet Classic Championship, defeating Michigan State University, 86-84.
Leading by double digits with six minutes to play, the RedHawks fought off a spirited rally, in which Michigan State buried two 3-point field goals in the final 1:09 to close to within one point. Cusick netted a free throw with 16 seconds remaining to boost Miami's lead to two points, and the RedHawks were able to keep the Spartans off the scoreboard in the closing seconds to collect the win.
Miami, which led most of the game, was sparked out of the gates by Beth Roederer, who tallied eight of Miami's first 10 points, including two 3-pointers. Miami trailed 11-10 with 15:50 remaining in the first half, but Colleen Day hit a layup to put the RedHawks ahead for good.
The Red and White pushed its lead as high as 40-27 with 4:34 remaining in the first half, following a Melanie Kozlowski 3-point field goal. An 11-4 Michigan State rally brought the halftime tally to 44-38. Cusick, who did not score until the 12:53 mark of the first half, led Miami with 12 points at the break.
Michigan State continued to close early in the second half, trimming Miami's lead to 51-50 by the 15:56 mark. Cusick, who scored 16 of the first 20 second-half points for Miami, drained one of her six 3-point field goals two possessions later to spark Miami on a 19-6 run. Trailing 74-60 at the 7:34 mark, the Spartans responded with a 14-2 surge over the next four minutes to close back to within two.
From there the teams exchanged baskets with Miami's lead never again exceding four points. With 1:09 remaining, MSU's Lindsay Bowen drained a 3-point field goal to close to 82-81, but Cusick answered back with a 3-pointer of her own with 52 seconds remaining. The Spartans once again closed the margin to one with a Kristin Haynie trey with 34 seconds remaining, but it would be the last time Michigan State scored.
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On the day, Miami buried a tournament record 13-of-25 3-point field goals and scored 25 points off Spartan turnovers. The win advanced Miami, which shot 48 percent from the field, to 2-0 for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign.
Cusick led the way, totaling the second-highest single-game point total in Miami history, while also snaring seven rebounds, dishing seven assists and swiping five steals. Also tallying in double figures for the RedHawks were senior forward Jana Butler, who contributed 11 points, and Roederer who added 10. Cusick, who averaged 24.5 points per game during the tournament, was named tournament MVP, and Butler joined her on the all-tournament team.
Miami, which won a tournament for the first time since winning the Northwestern Invitational in 1999, returns to action next weekend when it competes in the Atlanta Marriott NW Classic, which is hosted by Georgia Tech University. Miami takes on Arkansas State at 3 p.m. on Nov. 29 and faces either Georgia Tech or East Tennessee State the following day.
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