Established 1826 — Oldest College Newspaper West of the Alleghenies
SPORTS

Women's basketball goes for eight straight

Women's basketball is fond of late-game heroics.

The RedHawks have won seven straight contests, and have managed big second-half runs to either take the lead or seal the victory in each of their last four.

In its latest win, Miami overcame a 42-33 deficit at halftime to beat Bowling Green 82-75. The 82 points scored was its best offensive effort of the season.

And while dramatic endings aren't how head coach Megan Duffy draws it up, a win's a win -- something Duffy and her team will gladly accept.

"It was a tale of two halves for us," Duffy said after beating Eastern Michigan 63-58 last Wednesday. "We kind of got shell shocked a little bit and regrouped at halftime. I told them, 'I can't give you some magical potion. It's about playing a lot harder than you are and getting your attitudes a little better and more upbeat. Then, you'll have a chance to come back."'

That's been the story for the past several weeks.

Miami has looked sluggish and passive in its first halves, but something changes when the first second ticks off the second-half clock.

The previously-slow RedHawks find their rhythm and turn into a different team -- one capable of leaving opponents rubbing their eyes and wondering where their lead went. Over the last four games, the offense and defense have combined to outscore opposing teams 163-107 in the second half.

While comebacks may be exciting, the RedHawks will hope to control the game and not have to force late-game heroics when they take on Northern Illinois tomorrow.

The last time these two teams met, an early deficit proved costly for the 'Hawks. In its opening game of Mid-American Conference play on Jan. 5, Miami went down 44-31 at half and couldn't recover, losing 82-71.

The 11-point loss was the team's largest margin of defeat other than the RedHawks' 95-73 loss (22 points) to former No. 5 Louisville.

In the loss to the Huskies on Jan. 5, junior forward Savannah Kluesner finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. Kluesner has since added three other double-doubles to her statline and averages 17.8 points per game in MAC play.

Enjoy what you're reading?
Signup for our newsletter

Senior guard Lauren Dickerson, who had 25 points in the January NIU loss, is coming off a season-high 31 points against Bowling Green.

SCOUTING REPORT

THE GAME

Tipoff: 7 p.m. tomorrow at Millett Hall

TV/Radio: ESPN+/Miami IMG Sports Network

MIAMI REDHAWKS

Record: 17-4 (8-2 Mid-American)

Offense: 68.4 ppg

Defense: 60.1 ppg

PROJECTED LINEUP

Player (position, height, key stat)

Lauren Dickerson (guard, 5'3", 16.3 ppg)

Leah Purvis (guard, 5'6", 7.9 ppg)

Baleigh Reid (guard, 5'10", 3.0 ppg)

Kendall McCoy (forward, 6'0", 12.0 ppg)

Savannah Kluesner (forward, 6'2", 14.5 ppg)

NORTHERN ILLINOIS HUSKIES

Record: 14-8 (6-4 MAC)

Offense: 78.6 ppg

Defense: 72.2 ppg

PROJECTED LINEUP

Player (position, height, key stat)

Myia Starks (guard, 5'4", 11.9 ppg)

Mikayla Voigt (guard, 5'9", 21.4 ppg)

Gabby Nikitinaite (guard, 5'11", 12.0 ppg)

Riley Blackwell (forward, 6'1", 5.8 rpg)

Ally May (forward, 6'2", 8.6 rpg)

NCAA NET Ranking: Miami (62); Northern Illinois (97)

simansec@miamioh.edu, vinelca@miamioh.edu

@EmilySimanskis, @ChrisAVinel

Read More

Trending