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Feb. 24, 2002
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
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REDHAWKS TRAVEL TO BUFFALO FOR SEASON FINALE: With serious postseason implications on the line, Miami University's women's basketball team (16-10, 10-5 MAC) travels to the University at Buffalo (9-17, 4-11 MAC) this Tuesday for both teams' regular-season finale.
In a battle between teams currently traveling in opposite directions, Miami rides the momentum of a four-game win streak into Tuesday's contest, while Buffalo, mired in a seven-game losing skid, attempts to find some momentum. Following a 4-4 Mid-American Conference start, Buffalo has gone winless since Jan. 26 and most recently absorbed an 81-54 defeat at the hands of MAC East Division champion Kent State last Wednesday.
Coached by fourth-year mentor Cheryl Dozier, the Bulls are led by sophomore forward Jessica Kochendorfer, who is averaging 14.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Also tallying in double digits for the Bulls is junior transfer Katie McMeeken-Ruscoe, who is tallying 11.9 points per outing.
The MAC's top defensive team, Buffalo is surrendering a league-low 60.4 points per game while holding its opposition to a MAC-low 38 percent from the field. Offense has been the key to the Bulls' struggles, as Buffalo is averaging a league-worst 54.9 points per game. The Bulls have not cleared the 60-point barrier in their past five games and are averaging just 48.0 points per game over the past five outings.
A LOOK AT THE SERIES: Tuesday's meeting marks the fifth time Miami and Buffalo have clashed since the Bulls joined the MAC during the 1998-99 campaign. In what has been a very tight series thus far, the RedHawks and Bulls have split the first four games, which all have been decided by less than 10 points. The series also is split at one apiece in Buffalo, where the Bulls eaked out an 87-81 overtime win in 1999 and where the RedHawks managed a 56-49 victory in 2000.
THE LAST MEETING: In a roller coaster ride, Miami jumped out early and held on down the stretch for a 66-60 defeat of Buffalo in both teams' MAC opener. The Red and White, which drained eight of its first 10 shots, stormed out of the gates to seize a 22-6 lead by the 13-minute mark, but Buffalo rallied with a 14-2 run and trailed by just six at the half. The Bulls completed their rally with less than seven minutes to play, knotting the score at 51-51, but behind Heather Cusick, who drained four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, Miami iced some critical shots down the stretch and hung on for the win.
ROADHAWKS: Miami, which has played 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.
LOOKING BACK: Sparked by remarkable 77 percent second-half shooting from the field and Heather Cusick's (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) 10th 20-point game of the season, Miami knocked off Ohio University, 83-71, and pulled into fifth place in the MAC Standings. Previously, Miami defeated Marshall, 67-45, behind 21 points and 10 rebounds from Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton). 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. Fans can attend the game for free with their ticket to the men's game or pay $5 for adults, $3 for students and $2 for children to see the women's game only.
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 60-48 (.555) 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.
GETTING OVER THE HUMP: With a win Tuesday night, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa can place herself in a position she has never been in before. The architect behind two rebuilding programs, Fantanarosa currently owns a career head coaching record of 68-68 and could push her record above .500 for the first time in her career. Fantanarosa has been playing catchup with her record since taking over a struggling Western Carolina program during the 1997-98 season and posting a 7-20 overall record.
'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.
MAC POSTSEASON STILL TAKING SHAPE: Down to its final regular-season contest, Miami enters Tuesday's game with plenty on the line. With a win and no help from the rest of the league, the RedHawks can clinch the No. 5 seed for the 2002 MAC Tournament. A win also would send Miami's eyes to Ypsilanti, Mich., where Eastern Michigan is hosting Western Michigan Tuesday. An Eastern Michigan win would place Miami in a fourth-place tie with Western Michigan and give the RedHawks the No. 4 seed via a head-to-head defeat of WMU on Jan. 5.
As big as a win would be, a loss would be just as costly. If the RedHawks lose and both Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois win, Miami, which lost head-to-head games to both teams, could drop as far as the No. 7 seed. A win by one of the two, along with a Miami loss, would drop the RedHawks to the No. 6 seed. Northern Illinois travels to Central Michigan, 2-12 in the MAC, Tuesday.
ONE STEP AT A TIME: After seven league wins during her first season, nine during her second campaign and 10 last season, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa can take the program a step further with a defeat of Buffalo Tuesday. The Red and White has not garnered 11 MAC wins since the 1996-97 season, when it went 12-6 and finished third in the conference. Miami can match a five-year high for overall wins with two more victories, matching last season's total of 18 wins.
STREAKING 'HAWKS: Currently riding a four-game winning streak, Miami can match its longest winning streak of the season with a victory at Buffalo Tuesday night. Aside from a five-game stretch in December when it alternated wins and losses, Miami has been a team of streaks this season. The RedHawks started the season on a two-game losing streak before recovering with a four-game winning streak. Entering MAC play, Miami took off on its first 5-0 league start in nearly 10 seasons before stumbling over its first four-game league losing streak in two years. Since a win at Marshall and a loss at Toledo, Miami has been streaking again, winning its last four.
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 13-6 (.684) 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 19-10 (.655) under Fantanarosa and has never finished below .500. Miami stands at 5-1 this February.
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 36-27 (.571) overall league record. Miami has risen to the occasion when it has come to divisional play over the past four seasons, posting an impressive 29-10 (.744) record. Overall, Miami has turned away 16 of its last 17 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.
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 10 league wins, Miami has blistered the nets, draining 286-of-572 (.500) field goal attempts. The RedHawks also have knocked down 42 percent of their 3-point attempts during their 10 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 near flawless 14-1 record when out-shooting 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 249 consecutive games-the longest such streak in the MAC. Louisville holds the current NCAA record, having buried a trey in 316 straight games. Individually, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) had a 3-point streak of her own come to an end Saturday when she went 0-of-1 from beyond the arc versus Ohio. Previously, Cusick had hit a trey in 29 consecutive games.
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 (17.6) and steals (2.92) per game, while ranking second in assists (5.73 apg) and 3-point field goals per game (2.58). In MAC play, Cusick is averaging a league-best 18.2 points per game.
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. She broke Miami's single-season record last Saturday when she poured in 23 points versus Ohio for her 10th 20-point effort of the 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 83 games of her collegiate career thus far and has made a remarkable 80 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 (65-of-83) 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 1,208 in her career, tied Linda Mallender (1981-85) for sixth-place with her 23-point effort versus Ohio last Saturday.
Already ranked among Miami's career Top 10 for assists (2nd-437), free throw percentage (4th-.801), 3-point field goals (3rd-173), steals (7th-207), field goals made (8th-415) and free throws made (8th-205), 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 457 points currently rank as the fourth-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 30 3-pointers over the past 17 outings, an average of 1.8 treys per game. The sophomore amassed her first career double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds versus the Zips. Kozlowski, who ranks ninth on Miami's career 3-point charts, 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 7.3 points and 5.6 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 6.2 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting a mere 35 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 59-of-101 (.584) shots from the field, which ranks fourth on Miami's single-season Top 10 list.
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 seven 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 out-scores the opposition's reserves. On the contrary, Miami is 5-8 when its bench is out-scored. 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 2.92 steals a contest, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who rates third in the MAC at 2.54 steals a game. Cusick, who has recorded at least one steal in 64 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 26 games thus far, the RedHawks have matched or out-rebounded the opposition 17 times, recording a 13-4 record when doing so. In contrast, Miami has posted a 3-6 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 6.9 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 13 times this season and posted a 12-1 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 +3.8 in league action. Miami is forcing a whopping 21.3 turnovers a game versus MAC foes, while committing 17.5 miscues. Overall, Miami ranks third in the MAC in turnover margin (+1.31).
SCHWEGMANN LOST FOR THE SEASON: Miami freshman Katie Schwegmann (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart), who was coming into her own after back-to-back solid shooting days versus Ohio (Jan. 12) and Kent State (Jan. 15), will miss the rest of the season after suffering a lateral meniscus tear in her right knee last Saturday versus Northern Illinois. Schwegmann was averaging 11.2 minutes per game as an off-guard for the Red and White. She tallied 10 points in Miami's Jan. 12 defeat of Ohio.
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.
DAY NAMED VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Already in the midst of a break-out season, Miami's Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) became the first Miami player since 1995 to earn Verizon Academic All-District IV honors last week when she received third-team status. One of just two sophomores to make the 15-member team, Day is only the second Miami player to receive the honor, which encompasses all Division I teams in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Day is an English Education major.
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.
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. Day was named the MAC's East Division Player of the Week after recording a double-double versus Detroit on December 15. On Jan. 14, Day was honored again when she earned East Division Player of the Week honors for the second time.
During head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure, Miami has claimed MAC Player or Scholar-Athlete of the week honors a total of 16 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. The forward set a Miami single-game record with 40 points versus Ball State in the MAC Quarterfinals.
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.
REDHAWKS INK FOUR TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT: With the goal of signing true centers and impact off-guards, Miami's women's basketball program announced the signing of four players to national letters of intent. Comprising head coach Maria Fantanarosa's third recruiting class are April Lux (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison), a 6-foot-3 center, Cindi Merrill (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), a 5-foot-10 guard, Amber Miller (Vermillion, Ohio/Vermillion), a 6-foot-4 center, and Kelsey Sullivan (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro), a 6-foot guard. With the addition of the class, Miami will have four classes of scholarship players for the first time since Fantanarosa took over the program four seasons ago.
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