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Feb. 6, 2003

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REDHAWKS CLASH WITH KENT STATE FOR EAST DIVISION LEAD: Like they have so many other times over the past three seasons, Miami University and Kent State University clash at 2 p.m. Saturday with the Mid-American Conference East Division lead on the line. Miami senior Heather Cusick enters the game needing just 14 points to surpass Monica Niemann (1991-95) as the RedHawks' all-time scoring leader.

Miami (10-9; 5-3 MAC) is coming off a heartbreaking 97-94 overtime loss at Ball State last Monday, which ended a three-game winning streak by the RedHawks. Kent State (11-9, 6-3 MAC) handled Buffalo, 71-56, Wednesday to end a two-game losing streak and regain sole control of the MAC East lead. The Golden Flashes, who have won every MAC East title since divisional play started during the 1998-99 campaign, have lost just three regular-season games versus MAC East foes in the last three years with all three of the losses coming in Millett Hall to the RedHawks.

Coached by Bob Lindsay in his 14th season as Kent State's mentor, the Golden Flashes are led by fifth-year senior Jamie Rubis, who is averaging 15.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Also tallying in double digits is senior point guard Valerie Zona, who's netting 14.1 ppg and has buried a team-high 33 3-point field goals. As a team, the Golden Flashes have done a lot of their damage from the charity stripe, where they lead the league, averaging 22.0 attempts per game and burying an impressive 77 percent of those attempts. The Golden Flashes stand at 3-6 on the road this season.

SERIES HISTORY: Saturday marks the 59th meeting in what has become the MAC East's most intense rivalry. Thanks to a pair of lengthy winning streaks during the '80's, Miami leads the all-time series 31-27 and holds a dominant 21-2 edge in the friendly confines of Millett Hall. Though the series has remained relatively even since Bob Lindsay took over as the Golden Flashes' head coach during the 1989-90 campaign, a five-game winning streak from 1997-99 has helped the Kent State mentor to a 21-13 record versus the Red and White. Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa owns a 3-5 record versus the Golden Flashes, including consecutive losses to Kent State in the MAC Semifinals.

THE LAST MEETING-Kent State 74, Miami 50 (March 8, 2002): Meeting in the MAC Semifinals at Cleveland's Gund Arena for the second consecutive season, Kent State dominated the paint in a 74-50 defeat of Miami. The RedHawks trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half, and the deficit grew to more than 20 after Kent State scored the first 11 points of the second half. Miami rallied briefly to close to within 13 points, but the RedHawks would get no closer. Kate Miller and Katalin Kollat tallied 22 and 21 points, respectively, for the Golden Flashes and Andrea Csazar tied a MAC record with nine blocked shots. Miami, which shot just 26 percent from the floor was led by Melanie Kozlowski's 11 points. Heather Cusick and Colleen Day each tallied 10 for the RedHawks.

COMMON OPPONENTS: Versus eight common foes this season, the RedHawks have posted the slightest of advantages over the Golden Flashes. Kent State has posted a 5-3 mark versus Akron, Buffalo, Eastern Michigan, Marshall, Michigan State, Ohio, Toledo and Western Michigan, while Miami has forged a 6-2 record. Both teams lost to Toledo and Western Michigan, while Kent State lost at Michigan State, 85-72, where Miami knocked of the Spartans, 86-84, in the second game of the season.

COUNTDOWN TO HISTORY: After tallying a remarkable 54 points over her last two outings, Miami senior Heather Cusick has placed herself within just 14 points of surpassing Mary Ann Myers (1978-82) and Monica Niemann (1991-95) as Miami's all-time scoring leader. Cusick currently has 1,595 points, meaning she needs six points to move past Myers for second place all-time and 14 to move past Niemann's record total of 1,608. Cusick is already Miami's career record holder for assists (544), 3-point field goals (217) and 20-point games (31), and also is closing in on Myers' record 594 field goals. Cusick's career point total presently ranks 20th all-time in MAC history.

Cusick, who likely will have to break the record Saturday to achieve the feat at home, will have her work cut out for her. In her last two meetings with the Golden Flashes, she has hit just 6-of-30 shots and averaged 7.5 points per game. For her career, Cusick has averaged a more typical 14.4 ppg versus Kent State.

MILLETT MAGIC: Miami, which has won 19 of its last 25 contests in Millett Hall, ended a two-game home losing streak with its 84-56 defeat of Akron on Jan. 7. Last year, Miami finished at 10-3 in Millett Hall overall and 6-2 in league play, finishing the season with seven consecutive home wins.

The RedHawks are 32-11 (.744) at home over the past four seasons and have won 12 consecutive home games versus MAC East opponents. The RedHawks are 3-3 at home this season and have won their last two home dates.

ROLLING OUT THE RED CARPET: Miami has shown little courtesy when the five-time MAC East Division champion Golden Flashes have come to visit over the past three seasons. During the 1999-2000 season, Miami hit a gaudy 65 percent of its shots from the field in defeating Kent State, 74-72, and ending a five-game skid versus the Flashes. Two seasons ago, the Red and White shot 55 percent from the floor while demolishing the Flashes, 88-57. Last season, the Golden Flashes got with the program and shot 62 percent from the floor but still lost, 72-67, to a Miami team that hit 50 percent of its shots. In Kent State's last three visits to Millett Hall, Miami has shot .564 from the field.

EAST DIVISION SUPREMACY: Saturday's MAC East Division clash between Kent State and Miami pits two programs that have had a stranglehold on the division over the past three seasons. Since the 1999-2000 campaign, Kent State has posted a combined 29-3 regular-season record versus the East Division, while Miami has forged a 26-6 record. All three of Kent State's regular-season losses during that time have come in Oxford against the RedHawks, while half of Miami's six MAC East defeats have come at Kent State. In all, Miami, which has finished second in the MAC's East Division in each of the past three seasons, has turned away 21 of its last 22 MAC East foes during the regular season, with its only loss during that stretch coming at Kent.

NEXT UP: Miami heads West next week for a two-game roadstand. The RedHawks take on Northern Illinois University next Thursday at 7:05 p.m. (CST) in the Huskies' brand new Convocation Center. The RedHawks have not won in DeKalb, Ill., since the 1997-98 team and face an NIU team that is 6-3 in its new home. From there, Miami departs for Bowling Green State University, where it will clash with the Falcons at 4 p.m. Saturday. The RedHawks look to build on a three-game winning streak over the Falcons. Miami plays four of its final games at home following next week's road trip.

ROUGH ROAD AHEAD: Miami continues a pivotal part of its conference season Saturday versus Kent State. Over a three-game span, the RedHawks, a 2002 MAC Semifinalist, clash with the other three 2002 MAC Semifinalists. Miami's tour began last Monday night at Ball State, which won the MAC West a year ago and advanced to the MAC Championship game. Saturday, the RedHawks play host to defending MAC East titleholder Kent State, which won last season's MAC Championship and bumped the RedHawks along the way. From there, the Red and White travels to Northern Illinois.

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 38 percent of all NCAA D-I women's basketball programs, according to the Feb. 6 RPI.com rankings, while the average RPI of Miami's 11 out-of-conference foes is a solid 120.9. The average RPI of the nine teams that have defeated the RedHawks this season is an even more impressive 74.1. Miami is ranked No. 148 in the RPI and No. 113 in the Sagarin ratings. Miami's strength of schedule ranks 104th in the Sagarin Ratings.

A FINE LINE: The difference between winning and losing has been a fine line indeed for Miami's 2002-03 women's basketball team. Through 19 games this season, nine of Miami's games have been decided by five points or less. The RedHawks have forged a 5-4 record in games that have come down to the wire this season. Miami also has played in four overtime contests-a program record-including back-to-back overtime outings versus Eastern Michigan (Jan. 28) and Ball State (Feb. 3). The last time the Red and White played back-to-back overtime contests was during the 1995-96 contest. Miami has never played three consecutive overtime games.

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 1,595 career points rank 20th in MAC history, while her 217 3-point field goals and 544 assists rank fifth and 11th, respectively. Miami's point guard also has reached the MAC's Top 12 for career steals with 272. Cusick could become the first player in MAC history to amass 1,500 points, 500 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, who has played in all 106 games of her collegiate career, made her 103rd consecutive start last Tuesday versus Eastern Michigan. Opposing teams also can expect Cusick to show up on the stat sheet, where she has scored in double figures in 80 percent (85-of-106) of her career games and notched 31 outings of 20 points or more. Cusick also has dished an assist in 76 straight games and has only been held scoreless once in 106 contests. The senior has made a steal in 86 of the last 87 contests-a 78-game streak ended at TCU on Jan. 3.

CLOSING IN ON 1,000: After a slow start, Miami's Kim Lancaster has stepped up her offense, reaching double digits in nine of the past 12 games and closing to within 30 points of Miami's 1,000-point club. Lancaster, who is aiming to be the 14th inductee to the 1,000-point club, 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 54 percent from the floor this season to rank second in the MAC. Over the past 12 games, Lancaster has averaged 10.3 ppg to rank second on the team.

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. Four RedHawks-Heather Cusick, Colleen Day, Kozlowski and Beth Roederer-have been nominated for Verizon Academic All-American honors.