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March 2, 2002
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format
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FOURTH-SEEDED REDHAWKS OPEN MAC TOURNAMENT VERSUS AKRON: In the midst of a season-long five-game winning streak, Miami University's women's basketball team (17-10, 11-5 MAC) takes its momentum into the postseason Saturday when the fourth-seeded RedHawks collide with the 13th-seeded University of Akron Zips (1-26, 0-16 MAC), following the 3 p.m. men's basketball game Saturday afternoon in Millett Hall.
Miami, which went 6-1 during the month of February and rallied its way into a fourth-place tie in the final MAC Standings, is hosting a MAC Tournament first-round game for the third straight season and entertains hopes of making its third consecutive trip to Cleveland for the MAC quarterfinal round. Akron, which went winless in the MAC during the regular season, is looking to remove some of the sting from its 23-game losing streak with a strong postseason showing.
Mentored by fifth-year head coach Roxanne Allen, the Zips have struggled on both ends of the court, ranking last in the MAC in both scoring offense (55.2 ppg) and scoring defense (76.9 ppg). Akron's lone win of the season came on Nov. 24 when it defeated East Tennessee State, 72-64.
Leading the Zips is junior center Cassandra Martin, who is scoring 9.7 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds. Freshman guard Lindsay Hemmelgarn is netting 9.3 points per game and a team-best 2.9 assists per game.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's MAC Tournament first-round game marks the 22nd time the RedHawks and Zips have collided, with Miami maintaining a 19-2 series edge. Miami has won 18 of the past 19 meetings with Akron, including the last five, and has not lost to the Zips since the 1998-99 season. Saturday marks the first time the RedHawks and Zips have met in the postseason. Miami holds a 9-2 series advantage in Millett Hall and prevailed 94-32 in the teams' last meeting in Oxford on Feb. 24, 2001.
THE LAST MEETING: In one of the most impressive offensive displays in recent Miami history, the RedHawks rolled to their highest point total in 20 years, defeating Akron 103-67 on Jan. 12, 2002. Following a first half in which both teams blistered the nets, the Red and White owned a 56-40 advantage despite Akron's torrid 63 percent first-half shooting percentage. The 56 first-half points for the RedHawks tied the program record. Following an 8-0 Zip run to start the second half, Miami blanked Akron for a more than five-minute stretch and outscored the Zips 34-6 over the next 10 minutes. Leading Miami, which placed five players in double figures, was Heather Cusick, who poured in 25 points. Lindsay Hemmelgarn led the Zips with 17 points.
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 9-3 in Millett Hall overall and 6-2 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 28-8 (.777) 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 11 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.
MILLETT AND THE MAC TOURNEY: Saturday marks the 11th time Miami has hosted a MAC postseason game in Millett Hall. The Red and White has prevailed in eight of the 10 previous MAC Tournament games it has played on its home floor and has gone unbeaten over the last six. Since the MAC Tournament expanded three seasons ago to include a first round at campus sites, Miami has gone 2-0 at home, defeating Marshall University both times.
TOURNEY TIDBITS: Miami is appearing in its 29th MAC Tournament game, posting a 14-15 (.483) record to date ... The Red and White's 17 MAC Tournament appearances rank as the fourth-highest total in the league ... Miami has advanced to the Quarterfinal round of the MAC Tournament 12 times since the tournament was expanded to include a quarterfinal round in 1988 ... Entering this season's tournament, Akron and Buffalo are the only two MAC teams Miami has not faced in the postseason ... Miami's last home loss in a MAC Tournament game came versus Central Michigan in a 1989 quarterfinal.
LOOKING BACK: Miami overcame a difficult road test at Buffalo, overcoming a nine-point first-half deficit and rolling to an 80-65 win in its regular-season finale. Heather Cusick poured in 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting to lead the RedHawks. Complete recaps and boxscores of this and all Miami games are found on pages 15-23.
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 61-48 (.560) 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.
OVER THE HUMP: With a win Tuesday night, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa placed herself in a position she had never been in before. The architect behind two rebuilding programs, Fantanarosa owns a career head coaching record of 69-68 (.504), marking the first time her career record has been above .500. 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.
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 took the program a step further with a defeat of Buffalo last Tuesday. The Red and White had 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 a win Saturday, matching last season's total of 18 wins.
STREAKING 'HAWKS: Miami's win at Buffalo last Tuesday was the Red and White's fifth consecutive victory, matching the team's longest streak this season. Aside from a five-game stretch in December when it alternated wins and losses, Miami has been a team of streaks. 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 five.
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 14-6 (.700) 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 20-10 (.667) under Fantanarosa and has never finished below .500. Miami finished 6-1 this past 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 37-27 (.578) overall league record. Miami has risen to the occasion when it has come to divisional play over the past four seasons, posting an impressive 30-10 (.750) record. Overall, Miami has turned away 17 of its last 18 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 11 league wins, Miami has blistered the nets, draining 315-of-625 (.504) field goal attempts. The RedHawks also have knocked down 43 percent of their 3-point attempts in MAC 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 15-1 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 250 consecutive games-the longest such streak in the MAC. Louisville holds the current NCAA record, which is over 300 games and counting. Individually, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) had a 3-point streak of her own come to an end on Feb. 23 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. 26, Cusick ranked among the MAC's leaders in eight of a possible 12 categories. Cusick leads the league in points (17.7) and steals (2.89) per game, while ranking second in assists (5.78 apg) and 3-point field goals per game (2.59). In MAC play, Cusick is averaging a league-best 18.4 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 on Feb. 23 when she poured in 23 points versus Ohio for her 10th 20-point effort of the season. The junior added another 20-point effort in the regular-season finale versus Buffalo, netting 22 points.
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 84 games of her collegiate career thus far and has made a remarkable 81 consecutive starts. Opposing teams also can expect Cusick to show up on the stat sheet, where she has scored in double figures in 79 percent (66-of-84) 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 1,230 points in her career, currently ranks fourth among Miami's all-time leading scorers.
Already ranked among Miami's career Top 10 for assists (2nd-444), free throw percentage (4th-.789), 3-point field goals (3rd-176), steals (7th-209), field goals made (8th-424) and free throws made (8th-206), 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 479 points currently rank as the third-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 32 3-pointers over the past 18 outings, an average of 1.8 treys per game. The sophomore amassed her first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds versus Akron on Jan. 9. Kozlowski, who ranks eighth 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, Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) has been slumping over the past 12 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 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while hitting 32 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 6.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting a mere 36 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 60-of-102 (.588) 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 in recent weeks. 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 12-2 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 11.7 steals a game through 27 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 2.89 steals a contest, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who rates third in the MAC at 2.52 steals a game. Cusick, who has recorded at least one steal in 65 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 27 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 4-6 mark when being outworked on the glass. The RedHawks presently rate third in the MAC in overall rebounding margin at +1.4. 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 6.8 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 14 times this season and posted a 13-1 record when doing so. On the other hand, Miami is 4-9 when scoring 70 or less. Defensively, the RedHawks are 11-2 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 turnover margin of +3.8 in league action, which ranks second in the league. Miami is forcing a league-high 20.9 turnovers a game versus MAC foes, while committing 17.1 miscues of its own. Overall, Miami ranks third in the MAC in turnover margin (+1.37).
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 on Jan. 19 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. The freshman was the 2001 Kentucky Miss Basketball.
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 earlier this 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.
ROADHAWKS: Miami, which played 15 of its 27 overall games and seven of its 11 non-conference games on the road this season, forged an 8-7 record outside of Millett Hall this season, clinching the RedHawks' first winning road record since they went 8-6 during the 1992-93 season. Over the past eight seasons, Miami had 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 15-17 road record during head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure.
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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