Nov. 19, 2009

Wake Forest Game Notes

OXFORD, Ohio - Miami opens its home schedule on Saturday afternoon with a game against Wake Forest at 2 p.m. The RedHawks are currently 1-1 on the year after reaching the championship game of the Iona Tip-Off Tournament last weekend.

MIAMI FANS HELP COMMUNITY: The first home game of the season has a “Holiday” theme where giving back has its rewards. All fans who bring canned goods to Millett Hall will receive free admission to the game. Start your holiday season off on the right note by helping the Oxford area community.

MIAMI IN HOME OPENERS: This is the 36th home opener for Miami women’s basketball. The RedHawks are 21-14 all-time in their home openers at Millett Hall. Miami has won the last two openers, defeating Radford 74-67 in 2007 and IPFW 73-57 last season. Miami is 14-3 in its last 17 home openers since 1992.

LAST GAME: The Miami RedHawks fell to Arizona 91-67 Sunday afternoon in the finale of the Iona Tip-Off Classic. Miami is now 1-1 on the season, while the Wildcats improve to 2-0.

Freshman point guard Courtney Osborn had a breakout game for the RedHawks, scoring 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting, including 4-for-5 on three-point baskets. After the conclusion of the tournament, she and senior forward Ashleigh Brown were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The story of the first half was Arizona’s hot shooting. The Wildcats quickly jumped to a 14-8 lead on a pair of three-pointers. With the score 24-12, Osborn answered with a three-pointer of her own to get the lead back into single digits. Maggie Boyer hit back-to-back layups to keep the RedHawks within 10 at 36-26 with 4:09 remaining in the half, but Arizona’s shooting took off again from there as it closed on a 14-4 run to take a 50-30 lead into the break. The Wildcats shot .563 for the half (18-for-32), compared to Miami which was at 28.1 percent (9-for-32). Boyer was the team’s leading scorer with nine points in the first period.

After a slow start to begin the second half saw Miami fall behind further at 66-37, Osborn helped push the RedHawks a little closer with two three-pointers and a driving layup. With the Wildcats up 80-53, a 10-2 run by Miami reduced the deficit to 19 points at 82-63, but that was as close as the RedHawks would get as their shooting went cold and they fell, 91-67.

In addition to Osborn’s 22, Boyer finished with 10 points. Arizona outrebounded Miami 55-29, and was led by Ify Ibekwe, who had 16 points and 15 rebounds.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST: Wake Forest is 2-0 on the season having defeated Jacksonville 64-47 on Nov. 13 and South Florida 62-45 on Nov. 18. This game is its first road test of the season. The Demon Deacons have been led by junior forward Brittany Waters during the first two contests, as she is averaging 16.5 points per game. Freshman forward Sandra Garcia is averaging 12.5 points and 10.0 rebounds so far this year.

SERIES HISTORY: Wake Forest has won both meetings between the two schools. On Dec. 3, 2005, the Demon Deacons came away with a 67-61 victory in the consolation game of the Northwestern Invitational. Cindi Merrill led the RedHawks with 21 points in that game. Last season, the two teams met up in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Wake came away with an 81-59 victory. Miami led the game 38-36 early in the second half, and was only down 50-48 with 10 minutes remaining, but a 21-2 run by Wake Forest put the game away late. Jenna Schone led the RedHawks with 20 points.

MIAMI VS. THE ACC: Miami is 3-10 all-time against the schools that make up the Atlantic Coast Conference. All three of those wins have come against Boston College, as the RedHawks are 3-0 against the Eagles. Miami is 0-2 against Clemson, 0-1 against Duke, 0-2 against Florida State, 0-1 against Georgia Tech, 0-1 against North Carolina, 0-1 against Virginia Tech and 0-2 against Wake Forest. The RedHawks have never faced, Maryland, Miami, North Carolina State or Virginia, however Miami will take on the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes on Jan. 3 in Oxford.

UP NEXT FOR THE REDHAWKS: It’s back on the road the next four games for Miami. It starts with the second tournament of the season next weekend when the RedHawks participate in the Pitt Thanksgiving Tournament at the University of Pittsburgh. Miami will take on Marshall in the opening round at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 27. It will face either Pittsburgh or Appalachian State in the championship or consolation game the following night. The next home game for the RedHawks is the second annual “Class at the Court” game Wednesday Dec. 9, against Wright State. Game time is at 1 p.m. and several local elementary school students will be in attendance.