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April 14, 2002
MIAMI WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RAISES THE BAR AGAIN IN 2001-02: Though an impressive season came up one win short of a MAC Championship game appearance, Miami University's women's basketball team (19-11, 11-5 MAC) raised the bar again during the 2001-02 campaign, establishing five-year highs in overall and conference wins and returning to the MAC semifinals for the second straight season.
After posting a non-conference mark of 7-5 versus a rigorous schedule that included bouts with two NCAA tournament qualifiers, four WNIT participants and eventual WNIT Champion the University of Oregon, the RedHawks hit the MAC with a full head of steam, notching its best league start in 13 years. Spurred by five straight wins, including an upset of eventual MAC regular-season and tournament champion Kent State, the Red and White vaulted to the top of the MAC Standings.
Unfortunately, the RedHawks' stay atop the league would be short lived, as they stumbled over six-game stretch that included four road bouts and five games against eventual MAC Quarterfinalists. Standing at 6-5 and suddenly fighting to host a first-round tournament game, Miami pulled it together in the nick of time, winning its last five games and pushing its way into a fourth-place tie in the final MAC Standings. The 11 wins marked Miami's highest MAC win total since 1996-97.
After dispensing of bottom-seeded Akron in the first round of the MAC Tournament, Miami advanced to its third consecutive MAC Quarterfinal to face a favored Western Michigan squad that had been nipped by Miami for the tournament's No. 4 seed. Battling a formidable Broncos squad, Miami held first-team all-MAC selection Kristin Koetsier to just four points and four rebounds and made the rest of league take notice with a 77-70 win.
Sadly, the Red and White's run would end to eventual tournament champion Kent State in the MAC Semifinals for the second straight year, but the loss could not overshadow Miami's emergence as one of the MAC's elite teams. The season also brought about the emergence of one of the MAC's elite players, as Miami's Heather Cusick became the first Miami player to be named MAC Player of the Year since 1983.
HEAD COACH MARIA FANTANAROSA: A former standout on the court for the Red and White, Maria Fantanarosa recently completed her fourth season of working the sidelines for the Miami women's basketball program and owns a 64-49 (.566) 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 2002 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.
OVER THE HUMP: With an impressive 2001-02 campaign, 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 71-69 (.507), 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.
CUSICK NAMED MAC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: After leading Miami team to its third straight Mid-American Conference Quarterfinal appearance and turning in one of the most remarkable individual single-season performances in program history, junior guard Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) was honored at the 2002 MAC Championship banquet as the 20th MAC Player of the Year.
Cusick, the first Miami player to lead the league in scoring since Linda Mallender (1981-85) did it in 1983, also became the first Miami standout to be named MAC Player of the Year since Mallender earned the inaugural honor in 1983. An all-around threat, Cusick, ranked among the MAC's Top 10 in eight of 12 major statistical categories.
On the season, the Kokomo, Ind., native averaged 17.5 points, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals and 2.4 3-point field goals per game, ranking among the MAC's top two in each category. She was twice named MAC Player of the Week and amassed a league-high and Miami single-season record 12 20-point scoring games.
CUSICK NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-MAC: Following a brilliant season, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) achieved what no Miami player had done since 1995 when she was named first-team all-MAC. Cusick, who led the MAC in scoring and steals, joined repeat selections Tamara Bowie, Stefanie Smiley and Kristen Koetsier and fellow first-time honoree Kate Miller on the first team. An honorable mention all-MAC pick her first two seasons, the junior is the first Miami player to go beyond honorable mention status since 1997. Monica Niemann was Miami's last first-team honoree.
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 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. Lisa Kovack was a third-team all-district selection in both 1994 and 1995. Day is an English education major.
CUSICK AND DAY REAP MAC HONORS: Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) wasted little time in grabbing the attention of their peers during the 2001-02 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 after tallying a career-high 28 points in a defeat of Ohio.
During head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure, Miami has claimed MAC Player or Scholar-Athlete of the week honors a total of 16 times.
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 on Feb. 26. 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 also nabbed its highest win total since 1997 with its MAC Quarterfinal defeat of Western Michigan on March 6.
STREAKING 'HAWKS: Miami's MAC Semifinal loss to Kent State, ended a seven-game winning streak, which was the program's longest since it won eight in a row during the 1995-96 season. Aside from a five-game stretch in December and two-game stretch in February 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. Following a win at Marshall (Feb. 2) and a loss at Toledo (Feb. 5), Miami went unbeaten until the MAC Semifinal.
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 months of February and March, Miami has posted an overall mark of 24-13 (.649) under Fantanarosa. The RedHawks posted an impressive 6-1 record this past February and a 2-1 March tally.
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 29-10 (.744) 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 became a very simple matter of putting the ball in the basket for Miami's 2001-02 team. Through its 11 league wins, Miami blistered the nets, draining 315-of-625 (.504) field goal attempts. The RedHawks also knocked down 43 percent of their 3-point attempts in MAC wins. It was ugly in Miami's five league losses, in which the RedHawks hit just 104-of-292 (.356) field goal attempts and a dismal 29 percent from beyond the arc. On the season, Miami posted a near flawless 17-1 record when out-shooting its opposition from the field but went just 2-10 when being out-shot.
COMING FROM ALL ANGLES: Though Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) led the MAC in scoring, the RedHawks were by no means an easy scout for opposing coaches. In all, seven Miami players scored in double digits at least six times this season, with five tallying in double digits more than 10 times. The Red and White has placed at least two players in double figures in every game this season and has had more than three players in double figures 13 times. Along with Cusick's 28 double-digit performances, Miami got 19 from Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), 17 from Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and 12 apiece from Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton) and Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name).
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 253 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.
PETTY THEFT: After averaging 11.7 steals a game, Miami found itself once again among the MAC leaders in steals per game. Last season, Miami ranked first in the MAC with 12.0 steals an outing. Leading the RedHawks were Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), who ranked second in the league with 2.87 steals a contest, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who rated third in the MAC at 2.47 steals a game. In all, seven different Miami players totaled at least 25 steals.
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: After totaling five double-doubles through the entire 2000-01 season, Miami made up for lost time during its 2001-02 campaign. Led by Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who each notched five double-doubles, the RedHawks amassed 14 double-doubles on the year. Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name) added two double-doubles, while Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton) and Kim Smith (Gary, Ind./West Side) notched Miami's remaining double-doubles. Of Miami's current players, Lancaster leads the way with eight career double-doubles, while Day has five and Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has three.
CRASHING THE BOARDS: After ranking 10th in the MAC in rebounding in 2000-01, Miami attacked the boards with new-found determination last season. Of 30 games, the RedHawks matched or out-rebounded the opposition 19 times, recording a 14-5 record when doing so. In contrast, Miami posted a 5-6 mark when being outworked on the glass. The RedHawks ranked third in the MAC in overall rebounding margin at +1.3. Leading the way for the Red and White were Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who both ranked among the Top 12 in the MAC in rebounds per game. Miami was one of just three league schools to have two players ranked among the Top 12.
THE MAGIC NUMBER: Miami scored more than 70 points 16 times last season and posted a 15-1 record when doing so. On the other hand, Miami went 4-10 when scoring 70 or less. Defensively, the RedHawks were 13-2 when restricting the opposition to 70 or fewer points.
REVERSING A TREND: One of the keys to Miami's success in MAC play was 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 was a different story in MAC play, as the RedHawks maintained a turnover margin of +3.8 in league action, which ranked second in the conference. Miami forced a league-high 20.9 turnovers a game versus MAC foes, while committing 17.1 miscues of its own. Overall, Miami ranked second in the MAC in turnover margin (+1.77).
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 and added 20-point efforts in the regular-season finale and the MAC Quarterfinal versus Western Michigan to boost her league-leading total to 12 20-point outings.
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 87 games of her collegiate career thus far and has made a remarkable 84 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 (69-of-87) of her career games and notched 25 outings of 20 points or more.
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, who currently has 1,275 points, 456 assists and 217 steals, could finish her career as Miami's all-time leader in both points and assists.
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 broke her first major career record on March 2, when she dished out six assists to surpass Carrie Kent's (1993-97) previous career assist record. Cusick currently has 450 career assists and could become the first Miami player to clear 500 career assists.
Already ranked among Miami's career Top 10 for points (4th-1,275), free throw percentage (4th-.803), 3-point field goals (3rd-179), steals (5th-217), field goals made (7th-440) and free throws made (8th-216), 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) achieved during her junior season was almost overshadowed. Cusick's 524 points tied Mary Ann Myers' (1978-82) 21-year old single-season scoring record. The junior also broke D'Nelle Seiple's (1988-92) single-season assist record with 168 and the Miami record for 3-point field goals made (71). Cusick is the only player in Miami history to notch consecutive seasons with 400 or more points.
A NOSE FOR THE BASKET: Sophomore guard Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name), who wore a protective mask after suffering a broken nose versus Kentucky (Dec. 5), provided Miami with a steady long-range threat over the second half of the season. Kozlowski, who drained three or more treys six times in league play, hit 36 3-pointers over the last 20 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 seventh 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.
IT'S A GREAT DAY: Following a mild slump that encompassed much of the MAC season, Miami's Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) returned to form at the right time. 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. After that, Day had faded considerably, averaging 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while hitting 32 percent of her shots from the field. In Miami's first-round defeat of Akron, Day notched her first double-double since December, netting 14 points and matching a career-high with 12 rebounds.
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) hovered between sensational and the dreaded sophomore slump last season. Through 17 games in which Lancaster cleared the double-figure plateau, she averaged 15.9 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 57 percent from the field. In 13 games where Lancaster was held to less than 10 points, she averaged just 6.3 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) demonstrated some promising signs of what may lie ahead in her collegiate career during the 2001-02 season. 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, hit a solid 60-of-109 (.555) shots from the field, which ranks on Miami's season Top 10 list.
SHE'S BECK: After almost disappearing following an injury early in the season, Miami's Hillary Beck (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) made an inspired return over the final 12 contests, providing the Red and White with a valuable reserve. The freshman, who could play either guard position, provided the RedHawks with an eighth regular player after the loss of Katie Schwegmann (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) to a season-ending knee injury.
BENCH PLAY: Though Miami's starters scored more than 75 percent of the team's points this season, the bench played an integral role in the team's successes and failures. The RedHawks posted an impressive 12-2 record this season when their bench outscored the opposition's reserves. On the contrary, Miami was 7-9 when its bench was outscored.
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), missed 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.
Miami has gone into overtime twice in 30 MAC Tournament games, falling to Toledo, 79-65, in the 1995 MAC Championship game and defeating Ball State University, 91-88, in last season's MAC Quarterfinal.
MILLETT MAGIC: Miami, which has won 16 of its last 19 in Millett Hall, has certainly created some Millett magic over the last four seasons. Last season, Miami finished at 10-3 in Millett Hall overall and 6-2 in league play. In 2000-01, the Red and White went 10-2 at home and finished the season with seven consecutive home wins. The RedHawks are 29-8 (.784) 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.
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.
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.
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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