The Miami University women's basketball team won its final game of the regular season on Saturday afternoon as the squad defeated Bowling Green State University 75-65 on the road.
"I thought we were so smart on the offensive end. On the defensive end, we took them out of what they wanted to do. It was great to see that energy," head coach Cleve Wright said.
The Falcons scored the first six points of the contest, but triples from freshman guard Lauren Dickerson and sophomore guard Leah Purvis quickly equaled the score. Later, down 13-12, the RedHawks would go on a 7-0 run to close the first quarter with a 19-13 lead.
Freshman guard Abbey Hoff and Purvis nailed threes to start the second quarter, extending the Red and White advantage. MU dominated in the frame, outscoring BGSU 23-9 to take a commanding 42-22 lead into halftime.
The 'Hawks kept the Falcons at bay in the third quarter, as Dickerson racked up points at the free throw line. Despite a 5-2 Bowling Green run to close the period, Miami held a comfortable 58-43 lead after thirty minutes of play.
Hoff, junior guard Kayla Brown and Dickerson hit jumpers early in the fourth quarter, preventing any potential Falcon rally. Dickerson closed the game by hitting six consecutive foul shots, securing the 75-65 road victory.
With the win, the RedHawks finish the regular season at 11-20 (5-13 MAC). The Falcons fall to 8-22 (4-14 MAC) with the loss.
Miami shot 50 percent from behind the arc for the game, while Bowling Green only hit on five of their 22 three point attempts.
Dickerson finished with 24 points, shooting 13-for-14 from the charity stripe. Purvis finished with 22 points behind a career high five three-pointers.
The Red and White secured the ninth seed in the MAC Tournament with the victory. The team travels to face off against eighth seed Western Michigan in the first round at Monday night at 5:30 p.m.
"We just got to win a game on the road. That's tough, whether it's the regular season or a tournament game," Wright said.
Miami will look to put an end to a three-year streak of first round exits in MAC postseason play as it hopes to make a deep run in the tournament.