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Jan. 19, 2003
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
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MIAMI TRAVELS TO MARSHALL FOR MAC EAST DIVISION CONTEST: Miami University's women's basketball team continues a rugged Mid-American Conference stretch Monday when it travels to Marshall University (5-8, 1-2 MAC) for its third game in a seven-day span.
The RedHawks, who are attempting to improve to 3-0 in MAC East Division play this season, face a Marshall squad which has been off since a 59-49 loss at Akron on Jan. 15. The MAC's top-ranked team in terms of rebounding margin (+4.9) and field goal percentage defense (.380), the Thundering Herd has lost its last two games after an impressive MAC opening win over Buffalo. Marshall has been tough at home this season, winning four of its first five contests in the Cam Henderson Center.
Mentored by veteran collegiate Head Coach Royce Chadwick, who is in his second season at Marshall, the Thundering Herd is led by preseason all-MAC honoree senior guard Ida Dotson, who is averaging 12.8 ppg. Sophomore transfer Sikee Shepard-Hall averages 10.1 ppg and is shooting 44 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, while junior forward Catie Knable is clearing a team-high 8.9 rebounds per game-the second-highest rebounding average in the MAC.
Versus common opponents Akron, Clemson and Kentucky this season, Miami has posted a 1-2 record while Marshall has gone 0-3. Miami's Heather Cusick will be making her 100th consecutive start Monday night.
SERIES HISTORY: Monday's meeting marks the 14th clash between the RedHawks and Thundering Herd, with Miami maintaining an 11-2 series advantage. Marshall, which joined the MAC for the 1997-98 campaign, won the teams' first meeting as MAC rivals on Jan. 21, 1998, but has not won since. Miami currently rides a 10-game winning streak during which it has defeated Marshall by an average of 15.1 points per game. No current member of Miami's roster has ever lost to the Thundering Herd, and Head Coach Maria Fantanarosa owns a perfect 9-0 mark against Marshall. The RedHawks are also perfect in the Cam Henderson Center, where they own a 6-0 record. Last season, Miami defeated the Herd 79-49 in Huntington and 67-45 in Oxford.
THE LAST MEETING-Miami 67, Marshall 45 (Feb. 19, 2002): After going without a bucket for the first five minutes of the contest and falling behind 7-0, Miami exploded on an 18-2 run and would never trail again. Marshall, which trailed by 14 with under four minutes to play in the first half, finished the half on an 11-3 run that brought the halftime tally to 28-22 in favor of Miami. Led out of the gates by Kim Lancaster, who scored eight points in the first three minutes of the second half, Miami quickly rebuilt its double-digit lead and would allow Marshall no closer than 12 points during the remainder of the game. Lancaster led Miami with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Ida Dotson contributed 12 points and seven rebounds for Marshall.
A TALE OF TWO DIVISIONS: Entering her fifth MAC season, Maria Fantanarosa is working to build upon a 39-29 (.574) league record. Miami has risen to the occasion in divisional play over the past four years, posting a 31-10 (.756) record. Overall, Miami has turned away 19 of its last 20 MAC East opponents during the regular season, including a current seven-game winning streak.
Despite their success versus the East, Fantanarosa's RedHawks have not fared as well when heading West. Miami has gone just 8-19 (.296) versus MAC West opponents over the past five seasons and has lost 11 of its last 12 MAC West road games.
ROADHAWKS: The road has not been a friendly place thus far for Miami, which has lost five of its last seven road tilts. After a win at Michigan State during its opening weekend, the Red and White fell at Georgia Tech, Saint Louis and Kentucky before finally recovering with a 72-61 win at Butler. More recently, the RedHawks suffered two of their worst losses of the season at TCU, 83-58, and at Western Michigan, 75-60. Miami, which plays 16 of its 27 games this season on the road, owns a 3-5 road record this season and just avoided its second three-game road losing streak of the season with an overtime victory at Ohio. Last season, Miami assembled an 8-7 record on the road-its first winning road mark since 1992-93.
LOOKING BACK-Toledo 77, Miami 72 (Jan. 18, 2003): A dramatic comeback over the final six minutes of the game was not enough to overcome a 16-point deficit in Miami's emotional 77-72 loss to Toledo. Toledo, which defeated the RedHawks for the 14th consecutive time, shot a season-best 58 percent from the floor but had to drain its final eight free throws to hold off a Miami team that hit three 3-point field goals in the final 51 seconds and rallied to within three points with 20 seconds to play. Miami fired up 20 more shots than the Rockets, committed a season-low nine turnovers and became one of just three teams all season to score 70 points against Toledo's MAC-leading defense. Miami was led by Heather Cusick and Melanie Kozlowski, who tallied 15 apiece.
NEXT UP: Miami continues a critical MAC East Division road stretch when it travels to the University at Buffalo Saturday for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Bulls, who picked up their first league win this past Saturday at Eastern Michigan, own the MAC East's best overall record at 8-5. The Red and White has won two of its three meetings at Buffalo's Alumni Arena and owns a current two-game overall winning streak versus the Bulls. Now in the midst of a stretch in which it plays five of its next seven games on the road, Miami returns home on Jan. 28 to host Eastern Michigan.
HEAD COACH MARIA FANTANAROSA: A former standout on the court for the Red and White, Maria Fantanarosa is in her fifth season of working the sidelines for the Miami women's basketball program and owns a 71-57 (.555) record at Miami.
Since taking over a team that had no freshman class in 1998, she has guided the team to consecutive MAC Semifinal appearances and three straight MAC East Division runner-up finishes. Fantanarosa also has helped Miami players to all-MAC accolades five times, including 2001-02 MAC Player of the Year Heather Cusick.
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.
TAKING ON THE WORLD: Though Miami's 5-6 non-conference record marked Miami's first sub .500 out-of-league record in four seasons, head coach Maria Fantanarosa stuck with her theory of using the non-conference schedule to prepare the team for league play. Eight of Miami's non-conference opponents rate among the top 45 percent of all NCAA D-I women's basketball programs, according to the Jan. 17 RPI.com rankings, while the average RPI of Miami's 11 out-of-conference foes is a solid 134.0. The average RPI of the eight teams that have defeated the RedHawks is an impressive 95.5. A breakdown of Miami's opponents in the RPI and Sagarin rankings is on page 5.
OFFENSE WINS: When the offense is working, everything is working for Miami. Aside from a 108-102 overtime loss at Kentucky, Miami is 7-1 this season when scoring at least 70 points and 5-0 when outshooting the opposition from the field. Miami, which is 0-6 when scoring less than 70, has shot 46 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and averaged 83.0 points per outing in wins. Through seven defeats, however, the RedHawks have hit just 38 percent of their shots from the field and 28 percent from beyond the arc, while averaging 65.8 points per game.
POLISHING THE GLASS: An important theme in Monday's contest could be rebounding, as the match-up pits two of the league's top four teams in terms of rebounding margin and the MAC's top two offensive rebounding squads. Miami, which ranks fourth in the MAC with a +1.2 rebounding margin, is averaging 15.7 offensive rebounds a game-trailing only to Marshall's 16.2. The RedHawks have cleared a whopping 44 offensive boards in their past two games and are averaging 17.5 offensive boards a game in MAC play.
RETURNING TO FORM: Mired by a four-game slump in which she averaged an uncharacteristically low 9.5 ppg and shot a meager 31 percent from the floor, Miami senior Heather Cusick busted out in grand fashion last Tuesday at Ohio. Cusick, who had been hobbled by an ankle injury she suffered at Butler on Dec. 28, looked like her old self while pouring in a game-high 29 points off 11-of-20 shooting from the field. The senior also dished six assists, swiped three steals and drained three 3-point field goals and 4-of-4 free throws on the night. The 29 points were the second-highest total of her career and marked the Miami-record 29th 20-point game of her career. Cusick continued her strong play with 15 points and four assists Saturday versus Toledo.
ANOTHER COMEBACK KID: Another player battling a slump entering Tuesday's contest at Ohio was junior Melanie Kozlowski, who had netted just two points in her previous three outings. Despite missing her first seven shots against the Bobcats, Kozlowski continued to battle and was there when the RedHawks needed her most, tallying eight points, including six of Miami's last 14 points, and a season-high 10 rebounds, including seven offensive boards. The junior was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line, including a pair of charity tosses with 36 seconds remaining in overtime that broke a 76-76 tie. Kozlowski took her game up another notch Saturday versus Toledo, hitting a career-high 5-of-10 3-point field goals to tally 15 points.
A GREAT DAY: Junior forward Colleen Day has returned as an impact player in the Miami offense since midway through the season, averaging 10.7 points per outing-the second-highest average of any RedHawk during that stretch. Miami's rebounding leader at 7.0 boards per game, the Independence, Ohio, native has done a good chunk of her damage from the free throw line, where she has buried 30 of her last 36 attempts for an 83 percent average. Closing in on Miami's Top 15 career rebounders, Day has notched three double-digit rebounding efforts this season and Miami's only double-double. The junior had her best all-around game of the season versus Toledo, netting 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high six assists.
LONG-RANGE DIVAS: With a deep arsenal of long-range threats on its roster, Miami has not been shy about launching 3-point field goals. Through 15 games, Miami has fired up a MAC-leading 304 treys (20.3 pg) and connected on 34 percent of the efforts. Miami's current roster includes four of the top 12 career 3-point shooters in Miami history, including Heather Cusick (2nd-206), Melanie Kozlowski (7th-92), Beth Roederer (9th-64) and Colleen Day (12th-40). Miami is 5-3 this season when attempting at least 20 treys and ranks third in the MAC, averaging 6.8 treys per game.
AS THE BALL TURNS: Miami's turnover statistics have had plenty of twists and turns this season. After committing just 93 turnovers or a respectable 15.5 turnovers per game through their first six outings, the RedHawks totaled a whopping 117 miscues or 23.4 per game through their next five contests. Miami has gotten off to a solid start in MAC play, averaging 14.8 turnovers per outing through four games and ranking second in the league with a +6.3 turnover margin. Through 15 games, Miami maintains a +2.3 overall turnover margin, which ranks fourth in the MAC.
COMING FROM ALL ANGLES: While Heather Cusick has been Miami's clear scoring leader over the past two seasons, the RedHawk offense is by no means an easy scout. Already this season, eight different RedHawks have tallied in double figures, including seven that have achieved the feat at least three times. Presently, six RedHawks are averaging better than 7.7 ppg, led by Cusick's 16.5 ppg. This season's team has the luxury of six of the Top 45 scorers in Miami women's basketball history-Cusick (3rd-1,522), Kim Lancaster (17th-928), Colleen Day (37th-625), Jana Butler (40th-601) Beth Roederer (42nd-584) and Melanie Kozlowski (45th-554).
A CHILLING STRETCH: Off to its best start in six seasons (4-1) and coming off a record-breaking 110-69 defeat of area-rival Wright State, everything was looking pretty good for Miami's women's basketball program. That is, until the temperature and Miami's shooting percentages started to drop. Losses at Saint Louis on Dec. 15, to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Dec. 18 and at Kentucky on Dec. 21, sent Miami on its first three-game losing skid since January of 2002. Miami's loss to Clemson, in which the RedHawks scored a season-low 50 points, sealed the Red and White's first losing December under head coach Maria Fantanarosa. Over the past 10 games, Miami is shooting a chilly .398 from the field and .299 from 3-point range. The RedHawks have not won consecutive games since November.
BIG BENCH PLAY: With 13 scholarship players on her roster, head coach Maria Fantanarosa has the luxury of a deep bench for the first time in her career. Last season, Miami's top five players in terms of minutes averaged 29.7 minutes of playing time-led by Heather Cusick's 37.5 minutes an outing. This season, the top five RedHawks in terms of playing time are averaging a more manageable 24.8 minutes per game, with only Cusick, who is down nearly seven minutes a game from last season, averaging more than 30 minutes a game. Miami's bench also has made an impact on the scoreboard, dramatically increasing its scoring average from 16.3 ppg last season to 27.6 ppg this year. Miami's reserves have been held under 22 points only once this season and have been outscored just three times.
CUSICK ON THE MIAMI CHARTS: Already Miami's career leader for assists and 20-point games, Heather Cusick has her sights set on a handful of other prominent Miami career records midway through her senior season. The only player in Miami history to earn all-MAC recognition in each of her first three seasons, Cusick is 86 points shy of tying Monica Niemann's (1991-95) scoring record, three 3-point field goals away from breaking Jamie Stewart's (1996-00) 3-point field goal mark and 67 field goals shy of tying Mary Ann Myers' (1978-82) career field goal record.
CUSICK AND THE MAC GREATS: Along with etching her name all over the Miami career record books, Heather Cusick also is starting to a place her name throughout the Mid-American Conference record book. The senior's 1,522 career points rank 26th in MAC history, while her 206 3-point field goals and 525 assists rank seventh and 11th, respectively. Miami's point guard also has reached the MAC's top 14 for career steals with 261. Cusick could become the first player in MAC history to amass 1,500 points, 600 assists, 400 rebounds, 300 steals and 200 3-point field goals. She's only the second MAC Player, joining former Toledo standout Kelly Savage (1985-89), to reach both 500 career assists and 200 career 3-point field goals.
STEADY AS THEY COME: When opposing coaches are scouting Miami, they do not have to wonder whether or not point guard Heather Cusick will be on the floor. Cusick has played in all 102 games of her collegiate career and has made a remarkable 99 consecutive starts. Opposing teams also can expect Cusick to show up on the stat sheet, where she has scored in double figures in 80 percent (82-of-102) of her career games and notched 29 outings of 20 points or more. Cusick also has dished an assist in 72 straight games and has only been held scoreless once in 102 contests. The senior has made a steal in 82 of the last 83 contests-a 78-game streak ended at TCU on Jan. 3.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000: After netting 54 points (10.8 ppg) over the last five games, Miami's Kim Lancaster has pulled to within just 72 points of becoming the 14th Miami player to 1,000 points. Lancaster could become just the fourth player in Miami women's basketball history to clear 1,000 points during her junior season-joining teammate Heather Cusick, Monica Niemann (1991-95) and Mary Ann Myers (1978-82). Lancaster already ranks among Miami's career top three in terms of field goal percentage and is shooting an impressive 53 percent from the floor this season to rank third in the MAC.
NOT JUST ANOTHER SMITH: Though not a statistical leader for the RedHawks, sophomore forward Kim Smith has provided a key physical presence for the Red and White on both ends of the court. Smith, who is averaging 3.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 18.3 minutes of action, earned her first career start on Dec. 28 at Butler and has started every game since. Arguably the most athletic player in the history of the program, the Gary, Ind., native earned an astounding 14 varsity letters in five different sports during her prep career at West Side High. Smith's bench press, which is well over 200 pounds, is the highest on the team. Last season, Smith set a career high in Huntington with 19 points.
BEYOND HER YEARS: Freshman Cindi Merrill, a Noblesville, Ind., product, has wasted little time in making an impact on Miami's roster. Merrill, who started the first six games this season, is just the third true freshman to make a season-opening start in head coach Maria Fantanarosa's five seasons, with Colleen Day and Kim Lancaster last earning the honor in the Red and White's 2000-01 season opener. Merrill's aggressive style of play has merited her 24.8 minutes per game-the second-highest total on the team-in which she has averaged a solid 7.7 points per game while often drawing Miami's most difficult defensive assignments. Merrill had a career-high 15 points versus Akron in her MAC debut and followed up with 11 points and a career-high eight boards at Western Michigan.
TALENT TRANSFER: Another newcomer providing the RedHawks with an important boost is sophomore transfer Nicki Motto, who transferred to Miami from Indiana last year. Along with providing Miami with valuable minutes at the point, where Heather Cusick had averaged more than 34 minutes per game over the previous three seasons, Motto also has been a contributor on the stat sheet, averaging 4.2 points, 1.7 assists and 1.2 3-point field goals per game. Motto enjoyed a career day versus Wright State on Dec. 7 when she tallied 14 points, seven assists and four 3-point field goals.
CUSICK A CANDIDATE FOR NANCY LIEBERMAN AWARD: Miami point guard Heather Cusick has earned recognition on a national level by being listed as a candidate for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which is given annually to the nation's top point guard. Awarded based on outstanding performance, the Lieberman Award has gone to UConn's Sue Bird, the 2001-02 Naismith and Basketball Writers Association Player of the Year, in each of the past three seasons. The MAC Player of the Year last season, Cusick joins an impressive list of 17 candidates that also includes UConn's Diana Taurasi and Tennessee's Kara Lawson.
BOOK SMARTS: According to the first semester grade reports, Miami's women's basketball team has been getting things done in the classroom as well as on the court. The women's basketball team assembled a team GPA of 3.07 in the fall semester, ranking fifth among all athletic programs at Miami. Junior Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name), an exercise science major, led the way for the RedHawks, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA and earning a spot on the prestigious President's List.
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 268 consecutive games-the longest such streak in the MAC. Louisville holds the current NCAA record, which is over 300 games and counting.
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