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Jan. 14, 2002

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MAC EAST LEAD ON THE LINE IN KENT STATE-MIAMI CLASH TUESDAY: The last unbeaten in the Mid-American Conference, Miami University's women's basketball team (10-5, 4-0 MAC) puts its four-game winning streak on the line at 7 p.m. Tuesday when MAC East favorite Kent State University (7-8, 3-1 MAC) comes calling.

Kent State, which has won the MAC's East division in each of its four years of existence, has weathered a series of injuries and a slow start to post wins in five of its last seven contests. The Golden Flashes' only losses during the streak were to nationally ranked Florida and MAC favorite Toledo. During the same time, Kent State has knocked off Big Ten power Indiana and won three of its first four MAC outings.

Coached by 13th-year mentor Bob Lindsay, who has posted an impressive .730 league winning percentage in 12 seasons, Kent State is led by three players averaging in double-figures. Sophomore center Andrea Csaszar, who is questionable for this week's game with a stress fracture in her foot, leads the Golden Flashes, averaging 16.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Senior guard Kate Miller is averaging 13.1 points per outing, while junior guard Valerie Zona is contributing 10.5 points per game.

A LOOK AT THE SERIES: In what has become a heated rivalry over the past two seasons, Miami and Kent State are meeting for the 56th time. The Golden Flashes reeled off five straight wins over the RedHawks from 1997-99, but Miami broke the series stranglehold with a 74-72 home win in 2000. After Kent State regained the momentum with two wins on its own court, Miami dealt the Flashes a harsh 88-57 loss in Millett Hall a year ago. The rivals met again in the 2001 MAC Semifinals with Kent State eliminating Miami 86-70 and increasing its series edge to 30-25.

THE LAST MEETING: Second-seeded Kent State turned a tight game at halftime into an 86-70 win over sixth-seeded Miami in the semifinal round of the 2001 Kraft Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament. Despite a career-high 27 points from Heather Cusick, Miami shot just 34 percent from the field while Kent State drained 53 percent of its attempts. Julie Studer led the Golden Flashes with a career-high 31 points, including 23 in the second half. The RedHawks trailed by only eight at the half, but Kent State scored the first seven points of the second half and its lead remained in double digits for the remainder of the contest.

MILLETT MAGIC: Miami, which has won 12 of its last 13 in Millett Hall, has certainly created some Millett magic over the past three seasons. This season, Miami stands at 5-1 in Millett Hall overall and 2-0 in league play. Last season, the Red and White went 10-2 at home and finished the season with seven consecutive home wins. The RedHawks are 24-6 (.800) at home over the last three seasons and have turned away nine straight MAC opponents in Millett. In MAC East play, Miami boasts an 11-3 record over the past three years, including consecutive home wins versus four-time defending MAC East Division champion Kent State.

A TALE OF TWO DIVISIONS: Now in her fourth season in the Mid-American Conference, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa is steadily improving upon a 30-22 (.577) overall league record. Miami has risen to the occasion when it's come to divisional play over the past four seasons, posting an impressive 23-9 (.719) record. Overall, Miami has turned away 11 consecutive MAC East foes in the regular season, while winning 12 of its last 13 divisional home games.

Despite their success versus the East, Fantanarosa's RedHawks have not fared as well when heading West. Miami has gone just 7-13 (.350) versus the MAC West over the past four seasons, including a 3-8 regular-season mark over the past three seasons, and has lost eight consecutive road games to MAC West foes. Fantanarosa is still in search of her first coaching wins versus Eastern Michigan and Toledo.

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET: Over the past two seasons, Miami has shown that it will hold nothing back when defending MAC East champion Kent State comes to town. Two seasons ago, Miami ended a five-game losing streak versus the Golden Flashes by shooting a gaudy 65 percent from the floor on the way to a 74-72 win. Last season, Kent State ran into another Miami ambush, as the Red and White poured in 12-of-18 3-point field goals, shot 55 percent from the floor and demolished the Flashes, 88-57. In its past two home meetings with Kent State, Miami has hit an uncanny 60 percent of its shots from the field and 53 percent of its shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Kent State has hit just 36 percent from the field in its last two visits to Millett Hall.

LOOKING BACK: Miami continued an impressive run of MAC play last week, earning road wins over Akron (103-67) and Ohio (89-73) to move to 4-0 in the MAC for the first time in five seasons. Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) poured in a season-high 25 points versus Akron, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) added a career-high 28 points versus Ohio as both players averaged 21.5 points per game for the week. The complete recaps and boxscores of these and all 2001-02 Miami games can be found on pages 12-17.

DAY EARNS SECOND MAC EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR: For the second consecutive week and fourth time this season, a member of Miami's women's basketball team has been honored as the Mid-American Conference East Division Player of the Week. Sophomore Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) earned the honor for the second time this season after averaging 21.5 points per game in RedHawk defeats of Akron and Ohio.

Last Wednesday, Day played a season-low 27 minutes versus Akron but still contributed 15 points, seven rebounds and a season-high five assists. Day was virtually unstoppable versus Ohio, netting a career-high 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the field and snaring a season-high five steals. For the week, the sophomore hit 17-of-26 shots from the field for 65 percent. She was last honored as MAC East Player of the Week on Dec. 15.

HEAD COACH MARIA FANTANAROSA: Fresh off her 30th Mid-American Conference win, Maria Fantanarosa is in her fourth season at the helm of the Miami women's basketball program.

Since taking over a team that had no freshman class in 1998, she has guided the team to consecutive MAC Tournament appearances and back-to-back MAC East Division runner-up finishes. Fantanarosa also has brought in and mentored back-to-back selections to the MAC all-freshmen team for only the second time in program history while helping four players to all-MAC accolades. A 1990 graduate of Miami, Fantanarosa was a two-time all-MAC honoree for the Red and White. Following her graduation, she went on to serve as an assistant women's basketball coach for Xavier (1990-94) and South Carolina (1994-97) before serving a one-year stint as head coach at Western Carolina (1997-98).

One of the most prolific scorers in high school girls basketball history, Fantanarosa's 3,823 career points while at Mt. Carmel Area High School in Kulpmont, Pa., rank among the all-time Top 10 nationally.

'HAWKS ON THE RADIO: For the first time in program history, fans of Miami women's basketball can follow the Red and White live on the World Wide Web. In a deal with Yahoo! Sports, all 27 regular-season games along with any postseason action will be carried live over the internet. In addition, Miami continues its partnership with WMOH-1450 AM, which will carry 13 regular-season contests as well as any postseason action. Calling the games are veteran Miami play-by-play commentators Bob Rotruck and Bill Douglas. The live internet broadcast, as well as real-time stats for all Miami home games, can be accessed by going to the women's basketball schedule page on Miami's official website-www. MURedHawks.com.

BRINGING BACK THE THREE: After hitting a meager 17 of its first 68 (.250) 3-point attempts through the first four games of the season, the long ball has come back into style for Miami. Over the past 11 games, the Red and White has drained 65-of-152 (.428) 3-point bombs while pulling into the top three in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.373). Paving the way for the RedHawks, who have hit at least five treys in eight of their last 11 games, has been Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), who has hit 32-of-80 (.400) 3-pointers over the past 11 games and leads the MAC with 2.8 3-point field goals per contest.

STRING OF TREYS: As testament to what has become a fine 3-point shooting tradition, the RedHawks are working to maintain a string of games with at least one 3-point field goal that dates back to March of 1993. Since that game, a MAC Semifinal loss to Kent State, Miami has drained a 3-point bucket in 238 consecutive games-the longest such streak in the MAC. Ironically, assistant coach Lisa Hayden was on the floor the last time Miami failed to drain a 3-point bucket and went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Louisville holds the current NCAA record, having buried a trey in 306 straight games. Miami's streak is the longest in the MAC. Individually, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has hit a trey in 19 straight games.

CHARITY CASES: Miami, which is shooting a MAC-leading 75 percent from the free throw line, is making a run at the best team percentage in the history of the program. After starting the season by hitting an impressive 82-of-103 (.796) free throws, Miami dipped over the next five games, hitting 58-of-88 (.659) free chances. There's been a resurgence over the past five games, as Miami has knocked down 98-of-126 (.777) free tosses. Five Miami players with at least 30 attempts are shooting better than 80 percent from the field. The Miami team record for free throw percentage in a season is .769, set during the 1989-90 season.

TOUGH AS THEY COME: When opposing coaches are scouting Miami, they do not have to wonder whether or not point guard Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) will be on the floor. Cusick has played in all 72 games of her collegiate career thus far and has made a remarkable 69 consecutive starts. Opposing teams can also expect Cusick to show up on the stat sheet, where she has scored in double figures in 14 straight games and 18 of the last 19.

A BRAND NEW DAY: Just over halfway through the 2001-02 season, sophomore forward Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) is in the midst of a break-out season. Through 15 games, Day has scored in double digits 12 times, rebounded in double digits four times and assembled four double-doubles. The sophomore also has set career highs in virtually every statistical category, including her career-high 28-point outing versus Ohio on Jan 12. The sophomore, who ranks 11th in the MAC in scoring at 13.9 points per game, also has been remarkably efficient on the season, hitting a league-best 60 percent from the floor. No one ranked in the top 15 in the MAC in scoring has taken fewer shots from the field (128). Day also has been uncanny from 3-point range, draining 16-of-21 (.762) treys this season.

MAC ATTACK: After its first four league games, it is no secret why Miami is the only unbeaten in the Mid-American Conference. In the latest MAC-only statistics, Miami leads the league in eight-of-19 team statistical categories, including scoring offense (82.2), scoring margin (+17.8), field goal percentage (.515), 3-point field goal percentage (.451), rebounding margin (+9.5), assists (18.3) and steals (13.5). Individually, Miami owns two of the league's top three scorers in MAC play, with Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) leading the league at 20.8 ppg and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) ranking third at 16.5 ppg. Day also leads the MAC in field goal percentage (.659) and ranks second in steals (3.25), while Cusick ranks second in assists (6.0) and 3-point field goals (2.8) per game.

BREAKING OUT: After a sluggish start, Miami's Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) roared to life on Dec. 18 versus Western Kentucky. The sophomore preseason all-MAC selection poured in a season-high 24 points off 11-of-18 shooting from the field versus the Lady Toppers, including 18 first-half points. Lancaster followed up with a 14 point, 10 rebound outing at St. Francis (Pa.) for her second double-double of the season and notched her third straight double-digit scoring game with 17 points versus Louisville. After an eight-point outing versus Buffalo, Lancaster went off again versus Western Michigan, notching her third double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The highest scoring freshman in Miami history a season ago, Lancaster had tallied in double figures just three times in her first eight games, including a season-low four points in a Dec. 15 defeat of Detroit.

PETTY THEFT: Averaging 12.1 steals a contest, Miami finds itself once again leading the MAC in steals per game. Last season, Miami ranked first in the MAC with 12.0 steals an outing. Leading the RedHawks are Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), who leads the league with 2.7 steals a contest, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who rates third at 2.4 steals a game. Cusick needs eight steals to crack Miami's career Top 10 in the category.

CHART CLIMBING: Although just a junior, Miami's Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) is making her presence felt in Miami's career record book. Cusick became the 13th player in Miami history to join the 1,000-point club on Jan. 9, draining a 3-point field goal with 9:12 to play in the second half that landed her on exactly 1,000. Just 41 points shy of 10th place on the career scoring list, Cusick could finish the regular season ranked as high as sixth on Miami's career list.

Cusick is already ranked among Miami's career Top 10 for assists (3rd-376), free throw percentage (4th-.791) and 3-point field goals (3rd-148). She could finish her career ranked among Miami's career Top 10 in 10 major statistical categories.

A NOSE FOR THE BASKET: Sophomore guard Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name), who has worn a protective mask since suffering a broken nose versus Kentucky (Dec. 5), has been providing Miami with a steady long-range threat over the past seven contests. Kozlowski, who drained a season-best three treys each versus Western Michigan and Akron, has hit 10-of-23 3-point attempts for 43 percent over the past seven games. The sophomore moved into 10th place on Miami's career list with her three treys versus Akron, while also amassing career-highs for points (18) and rebounds (10) versus the Zips.

SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES: Miami freshman Kim Smith (Gary, Ind./West Side) has been showing promising signs of what may lie ahead in her collegiate career. On Dec. 15, Smith shredded Detroit for 18 points and 10 rebounds, notching her first career double-double. On the day, the forward scorched the nets for eight buckets in 12 attempts. Her solid play continued on Dec. 18, when she drained 4-of-7 shots on the way to 11 points versus Western Kentucky, and on Dec. 21, when she poured in 13 points versus St. Francis for her third straight double-digit scoring effort. After a recent slump, Smith returned to life versus Ohio (Jan. 12) with 12 points in just 18 minutes. The freshman has hit a solid 41-of-69 (.594) shots from the field.

SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: After totaling five double-doubles through the entire 2000-01 season, Miami is making up for lost time during its 2001-02 campaign. Led by Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who has four double-doubles this season, the RedHawks have amassed nine double-doubles on the year. Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) ranks second with three double-doubles this season, while Kim Smith (Gary, Ind./West Side) and Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name) have notched Miami's remaining double-doubles. Of Miami's current players, Lancaster leads the way with six career double-doubles, while Day has four and Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has three.

CRASHING THE BOARDS: After ranking 10th in the MAC in rebounding during the 2000-01 campaign, Miami has found a new level in 2001-02. Through the first 15 games this season, Miami has out-rebounded or matched its opponent 10 times and cleared an average of 38.4 caroms per game to rank third in the MAC. Paving the way for the RedHawks, who rank second in the league in rebounding margin (+3.8), is sophomore Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who is averaging an impressive 7.8 boards per contest to rank fifth in the MAC. In four MAC games, Miami is maintaining a rebounding margin of +9.5, which ties for the MAC lead.

SCORING THREAT: Following an impressive week, in which Miami put up 192 points in two games, the Red and White finds itself ranked third in the MAC in scoring offense with a 76.3 points per game average. Versus Akron, Miami totaled 103 points, which was its highest single-game total in 20 years. The RedHawks also tied a program record with 56 points in a half. Despite a slow start versus Ohio, the Red and White notched 49 second-half points to finish with 89. Miami has scored more than 70 points nine times this season and posted an 8-1 record when doing so. On the other hand, Miami is 2-4 when scoring 70 or less. Defensively, the RedHawks are a flawless 6-0 when restricting the opposition to 70 or fewer points.

POWER RATED: As of the Jan. 14 RPI rankings, found on www.collegerpi.com, Miami enters the week as the highest-ranked team in the Mid-American Conference. Ranked No. 114 out of 321 NCAA Division I programs, Miami is 26 places better than second place and No. 140-ranked Toledo. Miami has a 2-4 mark versus teams ranked above it in the poll, including two wins versus the Top 90, and an 8-1 mark versus those ranked lower.

THE GIVING SEASON: Though Miami has been forcing 20.5 opponent turnovers per game, the RedHawks have been generous in giving back to their opponents. Miami ranks ninth in the MAC in turnovers, giving away 20.8 miscues an outing. The RedHawks, who led the MAC in turnover margin a year ago at +2.9, rate a disappointing seventh at -0.3 this season. Not surprisingly, Miami is unbeaten (6-0) when it has a positive turnover margin. The RedHawks have improved drastically in MAC play and rank second in league-only play with a +4.5 turnover margin after three league games. Miami has established a new season low for turnovers in each of its first four MAC outings.

BODIES WORKING OVERTIME: Overtime has been paying better than time and a half for Miami over the past three seasons. The RedHawks' thrilling Nov. 28 defeat of Valparaiso extended the RedHawks' string of overtime victories to four consecutive. No current Miami player has lost a collegiate overtime game, and head coach Maria Fantanarosa has not lost an overtime contest since a 1998 loss at Buffalo.

CUSICK AND DAY REAP MAC HONORS: Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) have wasted little time in grabbing the attention of their peers this season. Cusick was honored as the MAC East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 3 after averaging 22.5 points per game in wins over Valparaiso and Butler. Versus Valparaiso, Cusick drained a game-tying 3-point field goal as time expired and later hit a clinching jump shot in overtime. Cusick earned the honor again after leading Miami to a 2-0 MAC start on Jan. 7.

Day was honored as the MAC's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Dec. 10 after averaging 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as Miami defeated Kentucky and tumbled at Clemson. She owns a 3.89 GPA in English and secondary education. More recently, Day was named the MAC's East Division Player of the week after recording a double-double versus Detroit on December 15. Day earned the honor again on Jan. 14.

During head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure, Miami has claimed MAC Player or Scholar-Athlete of the week honors a total of 17 times.

LANCASTER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MAC: One year removed from a remarkable freshman campaign in which she averaged 14.9 points per game and earned honorable mention all-MAC, MAC all-Freshman and MAC all-Tournament honors, sophomore forward Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) was honored this past October as one of five players named to the preseason all-MAC team. Lancaster burst onto the collegiate scene a year ago, setting a RedHawk freshman record with 432 points, which ranks as the fifth-highest single-season total in Miami history.

POWER OF YOUTH: With no scholarship seniors on a team that returns all five of its starters from last season, Miami is undoubtedly one of the youngest veteran teams in the nation. Last season, head coach Maria Fantanarosa gave 124 of a possible 145 starts, or 86 percent, to her sophomore and freshmen classes. Miami's underclassmen also accounted for 4,609 of 5,875 minutes played, or 78 percent. During the 1999-2000 campaign, Miami's freshman class-the current junior class-made an instant impact, amassing 1,906 of a possible 5,625 minutes, or 34 percent of the team's total playing time.