Senior captain Amanda Jackson led the 'Hawks to the first NCAA berth in school history. They fell to Louisville in the first round after beating Ohio in the MAC Championship.
The Miami University women's basketball team made their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history Sunday as the No. 13 seed in the New Orleans bracket.
The team suffered an 81-67 loss to the No. 4 seeded University of Louisville Cardinals in the opening round, but that did not take anything away from the team's terrific season.
"We're excited and just overwhelmed with joy," said senior guard Amanda Jackson. "It just goes to show that hard work pays off. It was very special, especially for me and Laura (Markwood) since we were seniors-it was a nice way to go out."
To get into the national tournament, Miami knocked off Ohio University in the MAC championship game, 67-56. It was the first time the RedHawks ever played in the tournament final. The game also served as a rubber match for the two teams, who split their season series, including an emotional overtime victory for the 'Hawks on Senior Night.
Miami focused on winning the MAC championship and reaching the NCAA tournament from the very outset of the season. Seeing their hard work pay off in the end was a dream come true.
"We all had one goal in mind at the beginning of the season and we accomplished that and more," said junior Jenna Schone. "It's just a great accomplishment for my teammates and I and for the program. You've got to start somewhere and it happened to be the year for us. Hopefully we can continue the tradition."
Schone said that playing in the national tournament was a special experience for her. After a season of ups and downs, it was very gratifying to have it all culminate in such a fantastic finish.
"It was a great experience, one that I've dreamt about ever since I got to college," Schone said. "To actually live it is pretty amazing."
Coming off a magical MAC Tournament, the 'Hawks remained focus on continuing in their winning ways. It was not their intention to merely show up to the NCAA tournament and enjoy being there. Nevertheless, it was important that they fully experienced their moment in the national spotlight and appreciated it for all that it was.
"It definitely was exciting to be in that atmosphere," Jackson said. "Even at practice we had people coming to watch us play. Just being there and trying to soak it all in was a lot of fun."
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Becoming the first team in Miami history to make the MAC Tournament finals, win a MAC championship and go to the NCAA tournament is unprecedented. However, despite the momentous achievement, the RedHawks are taking more than a spot in the record books with them from this season.
"The whole history part of it really doesn't affect me as much as just being really happy for my players and my staff," said head coach Maria Fantanarosa. "They've worked really hard for the past two years focusing on winning a championship."
Etching a spot in RedHawk history was no easy task for the Red and White. Before finishing the season on a 12-2 streak, Miami battled through a turbulent start to the season. Early on, the 'Hawks realized they would be playing the season without senior and probable starter Jaclyn Leininger, who suffered a knee injury in the off-season. Not much later, Miami also lost junior Kris Coner and freshman Michelle Oswalt, significantly changing the look of the team.
The injuries forced the RedHawks to change from an up-tempo team to a style based on ball possession. Undergoing a major switch in strategy mid-way through the season left Miami scrambling to find its identity. After starting 3-0, the Red and White struggled through an 8-8 stretch as the team tried to find a groove. The 'Hawks ability to overcome adversity allowed them to dominate the second half of the season.
"It was a year that we overachieved," Fantanarosa said. "The players remained very focused on getting better one day at a time. As we got better we started to win, and as we started to win we continued to gain confidence, both individually and as a team."
Although the injuries did provide a significant setback for Miami, the team proved to be refined by the proverbial fire. Important lessons were learned during the first stretch of the season that made winning a secondary issue. Before the RedHawks could taste success, they first had to learn to be a team.
"We said it a lot through the year, but we'll be successful as long as we don't focus on any distractions," Fantanarosa said. "Sometimes you're so focused on the winning and the losing that you don't really realize how much your team has improved. This year we did improve a lot but fortunately we were able to win as well."
Miami won 12 of its final 13 games before falling to Louisville in the NCAA tournament. During its tear, the team set a high standard of performance. Even after their disappointing loss at the end the season, the RedHawks know that they were playing their best basketball when it mattered most.
"The level of play in the NCAA tournament is a level of play that you want to continue to be at," Fantanarosa said. "I was very proud of our team's effort. We were maybe the most competitive 13 seed in the tournament."
Fantanarosa credits the team's two captains, Jackson and Schone, as the driving force behind the team's success. According to Fantanarosa, they were the ones who kept everyone focused on the RedHawks' mission. Setting an example for the rest of the team to follow, Jackson and Schone were pacemakers for a squad that kicked it to high gear down victory lane.
"(Jackson and Schone) are both very competitive players and they're both very unselfish players," Fantanarosa said. "Their peers voted them captains because that's the type of ball we want to emulate. That's what put us in a position to win a championship."
Looking back at all they have accomplished, the RedHawks want to fully experience their success before moving forward. In a sport that demands a continual push onto the next level, Miami is choosing to stop and smell the roses, milking this triumphant season for all it's worth.
"The negative part of who we are as competitors is that we set our next goal before we enjoy the successes of the season we just finished," Fantanarosa said. "I'm just really trying to soak in all we've accomplished this year."
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