Feb. 22, 2002
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STREAKING REDHAWKS FACE ARCH-RIVAL OHIO BOBCATS: In the midst of a three-game winning streak, Miami University women's basketball team (15-10, 9-5 MAC) can guarantee itself an outright second-place finish in the MAC's East Division when it tangles with Ohio University (12-13, 7-7 MAC) Saturday afternoon in Millett Hall.
Miami, which currently holds a two-game advantage on the third-place Bobcats, clinched at least a second-place tie Tuesday when it defeated Marshall (67-45) and Ohio fell to Bowling Green (57-56). The RedHawks, who still possess an outside chance of forcing a first-place tie with Kent State, have finished second in the MAC's East Division in each of the last two seasons.
Coached by third-year mentor Lynn Bria, Ohio has won four of its last six games since slumping to 3-5 in the league after a three-game losing streak. One of the MAC's most potent offensive teams, Ohio ranks second in the league in scoring offense (75.1 ppg) and first in the league in both field goal (.463) and 3-point field goal (.388) percentage.
Leading the Bobcats is senior guard Cathy Szall, a former walk-on who has emerged as one of the MAC's most prolific long-range shooters. Szall is averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Senior forward Lori Moorman averages 15.5 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per outing, while sophomore guard Candace Bates averages 11.3 ppg.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES: The long-time rivalry between the Miami and Ohio enters its 53rd meeting this Saturday, with the Red and White maintaining a 36-16 series advantage. Miami has won six of seven contests over the Bobcats during head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure, including the last four. The RedHawks have not lost to Ohio at home since an overtime loss during the 1997-98 season and hold a 17-5 record over the Bobcats in Millett Hall.
THE LAST MEETING: In a Jan. 12 meeting in Athens, Ohio, Miami got a career-high 28 points from Colleen Day and rolled to an 89-73 defeat of Ohio on the Bobcats' home floor. Leading just 40-34 at halftime, Miami's offense took it up a notch in the second half, shooting a blistering 59 percent from the field and pressing its lead as high as 20 points. Led by Day, who netted 11-of-13 shots from the field, Miami shot 57 percent on the day, offsetting an impressive 25-point effort from Cathy Szall that included four 3-point field goals. In all, Miami placed five scorers in double figures, including Heather Cusick with 18, while forcing 24 Bobcat turnovers.
MILLETT MAGIC: Miami, which has won 15 of its last 18 in Millett Hall, has certainly created some Millett magic over the last four seasons. This season, Miami stands at 8-3 in Millett Hall overall and 5-2 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 27-8 (.771) at home over the last four seasons and had turned away 10 straight MAC opponents in Millett until Northern Illinois ended the streak on Jan. 19. The RedHawks, who have won 10 consecutive home games against MAC East Division opponents, have not had a losing home record since the 1991-92 campaign and have finished at .500 only twice during that 10-year span.
LOOKING BACK: Miami, led by Kim Lancaster's 21 points and 10 rebounds, rode a strong second half to a 67-45 defeat of Marshall University last Tuesday in Millett Hall. The double-double was Lancaster's fifth of the season and gave Miami its 10th consecutive defeat of the Thundering Herd. Complete recaps and boxscores of these and all Miami games are found on pages 15-23.
'HAWKS TO HOST FIRST-ROUND GAME: For the third consecutive season, Miami University's women's basketball team has guaranteed itself the right to host a first-round Mid-American Conference Tournament game. The RedHawks will host a first-round opponent to be determined on Saturday, March 2 in Millett Hall. Tip-off time is tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. or 30 minutes following the 3 p.m. men's game.
HEAD COACH MARIA FANTANAROSA: A former standout on the court for the Red and White, Maria Fantanarosa is in her fourth season of working the sidelines for the Miami women's basketball program and owns a 59-48 (.551) record at Miami.
Since taking over a team that had no freshman class in 1998, she has guided the team to consecutive MAC Quarterfinal appearances and three straight 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. WMOH, Miami's flagship station, will air 17 of the games throughout the year. Calling the games are veteran Miami commentators Bob Rotruck and Bill Douglas. The live internet broadcast can be accessed by going to the women's basketball schedule page on Miami's official website- www. MURedHawks.com.
A TALE OF TWO DIVISIONS: Now in her fourth season in the Mid-American Conference, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa is working to improve upon a 35-27 (.565) overall league record. Miami has risen to the occasion when it has come to divisional play over the past four seasons, posting an impressive 28-10 (.737) record. Overall, Miami has turned away 15 of its last 16 MAC East foes in the regular season and had won 12 straight until a Jan. 26 loss at Kent State.
Despite their success versus the East, Fantanarosa's RedHawks have not fared as well when heading West. Miami has gone just 8-17 (.320) versus the MAC West over the past four seasons and had lost 10 consecutive road games to MAC West foes until a 64-57 win at Central Michigan on Feb. 16.
LONG-RANGE DIVAS: Along with the obvious Miami vs. Ohio women's basketball rivalry taking place Saturday afternoon, RedHawk and Bobcat fans also will be able to watch two of the MAC's most prolific 3-point shooters square off. Ohio senior Cathy Szall has amassed the third-highest amount of 3-point field goals in MAC women's basketball history with 235. Miami junior Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) ranks 10th in MAC history with 173 career treys but is slightly ahead of Szall's three-year pace. In five head-to-head meetings, both 3-point artists have drained 11 treys with Szall hitting an impressive 48 percent.
MAC POSTSEASON STILL TAKING SHAPE: With two regular-season contests remaining, Miami, which already has guaranteed itself a top-seven finish in the Mid-American Conference standings, is playing for positioning. By winning out, Miami, with no help from other teams, clinches the No. 6 seed for the upcoming MAC Tournament. The RedHawks could claim the No. 5 seed with two wins and an Eastern Michigan loss or the No. 4 seed with an Eastern Michigan loss at Bowling Green on Feb. 23 and Western Michigan losses to both Northern Illinois (Feb. 23) and Eastern Michigan (Feb. 26).
FOLLOWING THROUGH: Under head coach Maria Fantanarosa, Miami has made a point of finishing strong. Through the past four seasons, Miami has posted a combined record of 12-6 (.667) through its final five regular-season games and has ended every regular season on a winning streak. In the month of February, Miami has posted an overall mark of 18-10 (.643) under Fantanarosa and has never finished below .500. The table appears to be set for the RedHawks, who have already won the first three of their final five games and play both of their final two games against opponents they have already beaten this year.
OFFENSE WINS: The difference between winning and losing in the MAC has become a very simple matter of putting the ball in the basket for Miami. Through its nine league wins, Miami has blistered the nets, draining 255-of-517 (.493) field goal attempts. The RedHawks also have knocked down 41 percent of their 3-point attempts during their eight league wins. It has been ugly in Miami's five league losses, however, in which the RedHawks have hit just 104-of-292 (.356) field goal attempts and a dismal 29 percent from beyond the arc.
On the season, Miami has posted a 13-1 record when outshooting its opposition from the field but has gone 2-9 when being out-shot.
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 248 consecutive games-the longest such streak in the MAC. Louisville holds the current NCAA record, having buried a trey in 315 straight games. Individually, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has hit a trey in 29 straight games. Both streaks nearly came to an end on Jan. 5 at Toledo, where Miami hit just 1-of-20 3-point attempts.
MAKING A STATEMENT: A two-time honorable mention all-MAC honoree over the past two seasons, Miami's Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has her sights set on bigger things this year. With the MAC season winding down, Cusick has emerged as a leading candidate for the league's player of the year award. As of Feb. 18, Cusick ranked among the MAC's leaders in eight of a possible 12 categories. Cusick leads the league in points (17.4) and steals (2.88) per game, while ranking second in assists (5.68 apg) and 3-point field goals per game (2.68). In MAC play, Cusick is averaging a league-best 17.9 points per game, which is one full point per game better than her nearest competitor.
20-POINT DIVA: With a 24-point outing versus Central Michigan on Feb. 16, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) surpassed all-time leading scorer Monica Niemann (1991-95) for first-place in Miami's career annals with 22 career 20-point games. Cusick cleared the 20-point barrier six times as a freshman and seven times as a sophomore. This season, she has tied a Miami record by tallying at least 20 points nine times. Cusick is presently on pace to pass Niemann as Miami's all-time leading scorer.
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 82 games of her collegiate career thus far and has made a remarkable 79 consecutive starts. Opposing teams also can expect Cusick to show up on the stat sheet, where she has scored in double figures in 78 percent (64-of-82) of her career games.
NEITHER SZCZERBIAK NOR HARPER: When Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) swiped her 200th steal versus Central Michigan on Feb. 16, she achieved something no one in Miami men's or women's basketball history had been able to do. With that steal, Cusick became the first Miami player to amass 1,000 points, 400 assists and 200 steals in her career. The junior could finish her career as Miami's all-time leader in both points and assists, while ranking as high as second in steals.
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 cracked the Top 10 in Miami's career scoring list with her 23-point outing versus Northern Illinois on Jan. 19. The junior, who has tallied 1,185 in her career, recently moved into eighth place on Miami's career scoring list.
Already ranked among Miami's career Top 10 for assists (2nd-430), free throw percentage (4th-.798), 3-point field goals (3rd-173), steals (8th-203), field goals made (9th-405) and free throws made (9th-202), she could finish her career ranked among Miami's career Top 10 in 10-of-13 major statistical categories.
QUITE A SEASON: In the midst of all her career record chases, what Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has achieved during her junior season has been almost overshadowed until now. With 17 points versus Bowling Green on Feb. 9, Cusick became the first Miami player to record back-to-back seasons of 400 or more points. Only all-time Miami scoring leader Monica Niemann (1991-95) recorded more than one 400-point season during her career, and she was not able to do it in consecutive seasons. Cusick's 434 points currently rank as the fifth-highest single-season point total in Miami history. The junior could become the first Miamian since Linda Mallender in 1983 to lead the MAC in scoring.
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 second half of the season. Kozlowski, who has drained three or more treys six times in league play, has hit 28 3-pointers over the past 16 outings. The sophomore moved into 10th place on Miami's career list with her three treys versus Akron, while also amassing her first career double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds versus the Zips. Kozlowski hit a career-best four 3-pointers and tallied a career-high 20 points in a Jan. 23 loss at Eastern Michigan.
DAY TO DAY: After an impressive start, Miami's Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) has been slumping over the past 11 games. Following a Jan. 12 defeat of Ohio, in which she poured in a career-high 28 points, Day ranked 11th in the MAC in scoring at 13.9 points per game and was hitting a league-best 60 percent of her shots from the floor. The sophomore also ranked fifth in the MAC in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game and led the league in offensive rebounds. Since that time, Day has faded considerably, averaging just 6.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while hitting a dismal 31 percent of her shots from the field.
SENSATIONAL SOPH OR SOPHOMORE SLUMP?: Following a fabulous freshman season in which she earned honorable mention all-MAC, MAC all-freshman and MAC all-tournament recognition, Miami's Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) has been hovering between sensational and the dreaded sophomore slump this season. Through 14 games in which Lancaster has cleared the double-figure plateau, she is averaging 15.3 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field. In 10 games where Lancaster has been held to less than 10 points, she is averaging just 6.0 points and 5.3 rebounds while shooting a mere 33 percent from the floor.
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. Smith was an even more dominant scorer on Feb. 2 versus Marshall, draining 8-of-11 buckets on the way to a career-high 19 points. The freshman, who uses her athleticism to get inside for close-range shots, has hit a solid 58-of-98 (.592) shots from the field while becoming Miami's most consistent finisher in the paint. Smith was out of the lineup in Tuesday's defeat of Marshall and is questionable for this weekend.
DEPTH PERCEPTION: The bench is becoming a lonely place for Miami. Since losing off-guard Katie Schwegmann (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) for the season on Jan. 19, Miami played only seven players in losses to Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan and, with the recent emergence of Hillary Beck (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has gone just eight deep over the past six games. Much of Miami's situation can be blamed on the RedHawks having no senior class, the result of Maria Fantanarosa's being hired too late to sign a freshman class prior to the 1998-99 campaign.
BENCH PLAY: Though Miami's starters are scoring more than 75 percent of the team's points this season, the bench has played an integral role in the team's successes and failures. The RedHawks have posted an impressive 11-2 record this season when their bench outscores the opposition's reserves. On the contrary, Miami is 4-8 when its bench is outscored. The Red and White is undefeated (5-0) when it gets at least 20 points from the bench.
PETTY THEFT: Averaging 11.9 steals a game through 25 contests, 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 2.88 steals a contest, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who rates third in the MAC at 2.48 steals a game. Cusick, who has recorded at least one steal in 63 straight games, cracked Miami's career Top 10 with two steals versus Eastern Michigan (Jan. 23) and became the eighth player in Miami history to surpass 200 steals on Feb. 16 at Central Michigan.
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 Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton), who has notched five double-doubles this season, the RedHawks have amassed 12 double-doubles on the year. Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) ranks second on the team with four double-doubles, while Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton), Kim Smith (Gary, Ind./West Side) and Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name) have notched Miami's remaining three double-doubles. Of Miami's current players, Lancaster leads the way with eight 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 a year ago, Miami has been attacking the boards with new-found determination this season. Of 25 games thus far, the RedHawks have out-rebounded the opposition 15 times, recording an 11-4 record when doing so. In contrast, Miami has posted a meager 4-6 mark when being outworked on the glass. The RedHawks presently rate third in the MAC in overall rebounding margin at +1.5. Leading the way for the Red and White are Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who both rank among the Top 12 in the MAC at 7.0 rebounds per game. Miami is one of just three league schools to have two players ranked among the Top 12.
THE MAGIC NUMBER: Miami has scored more than 70 points 12 times this season and posted an 11-1 record when doing so. On the other hand, Miami is 4-9 when scoring 70 or less. Defensively, the RedHawks are 10-2 when restricting the opposition to 70 or fewer points.
REVERSING A TREND: One of the keys to Miami's success in MAC play has been its ability to win the turnover battle. Entering MAC play, Miami ranked 11th in the MAC in turnovers while averaging 22.0 miscues per game. The Red and White, which led the league in turnover margin a year ago, was further struggling with a turnover margin of -2.1, which ranked 10th in the league.
It's been a different story since the start of MAC play, as the RedHawks have maintained a MAC-best turnover margin of +4.0 in league action. Miami is forcing a whopping 21.5 turnovers a game versus MAC foes, while committing 17.5 miscues. Overall, Miami ranks third in the MAC in turnover margin (+1.32).
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 Miami's 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.
ROADHAWKS: Miami, which is playing 15 of its 27 overall games and seven of its 11 non-conference games on the road this season, has forged a 7-7 record outside of Millett Hall this season. The RedHawks are in search of their first winning road record since they went 8-6 during the 1992-93 season. Over the past eight seasons, Miami has reached .500 on the road just twice while posting a 47-63 (.427) record. Last season, Miami went 6-7 when playing in hostile surroundings. In MAC action, Miami has posted a 14-17 road record during head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure.
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.
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