Sophomore Rachael Hencke saw action in all 31 games last season. (Michael Griggs / The Miami Student)
The Miami University women's basketball team returned home from a disappointing trip at the Pitt Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by the University of Pittsburgh, losing both games to drop to 1-4 to start off the season. Miami lost to Marshall 83-76 Friday and followed with a 79-76 overtime loss to Appalachian State Saturday.
Miami fell behind by 24 points in the second half of the first game against Marshall before rallying within four points late in the game. However, Marshall was able to hang on for a seven-point victory to notch its second win of the season.
The RedHawks struggled with shooting to start the second half, but were able to cut away at Marshall's lead due to key shots made by freshman Courtney Osborn, senior Ashleigh Brown and sophomore Maggie Boyer. Miami shot 39 percent from the field, and Osborn led the RedHawks with 20 points, while Brown scored 17 and Boyer had 14.
In the second game of the tournament, Miami got off to a quick 13-2 lead with 14:20 remaining in the first half before allowing Appalachian State to slowly work its way back into the game. Appalachian State took a 39-28 lead into halftime after hitting four key three pointers toward the end of the half.
Miami was able to come back in the second half due to great play from Osborn, Boyer and Brown, as well as shots made by senior Courtney Reed and sophomore Rachael Hencke. However, Miami's hot second-half shooting went cold in overtime, as all of the scoring in overtime came from the free throw line.
Miami shot 30 percent for the game, and Osborn once again led the RedHawks with 25 points, while Hencke contributed 15 points. Miami improved in the second game though, as both their improved defense and rebounding were able to keep them much closer to Appalachian State.
"I feel like we got better between games," Head Coach Maria Fantanarosa said. "I wanted to see if they would continue to fight in the second game and they did that."
Fantanarosa said she was also pleased to see how the team has started to play even harder for longer periods of time.
"The starters started to play better both on defense and in rebounding, which is key for us," Fantanarosa said.
Osborn led the way for the RedHawks, leading Miami in scoring both games, putting up 45 points in the tournament. She also had nine assists during the weekend and has quickly become a leader of the team.
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"(Courtney) is a smart player who has adjusted well so far," Fantanarosa said. "She lets the game come to her and she is a very unselfish player who wants to win."
The team is very young, and five of its top seven players are either freshmen or sophomores.
"This group has not played together that much, and they need to stay focused for the entire season," Fantanarosa said. "We need to take one game at a time and not worry about the wins and losses. In a month we should be a completely different team."
The RedHawks will now get set to face off against Kentucky Tuesday night. The Wildcats enter 6-0 on the season and will be looking to push the tempo against Miami.
"They are very tall and athletic, and their center (Victoria) Dunlap is a great player," Fantanarosa said. "They are a good outside shooting (team) and they are a good transition team. We will need to take care of the ball and control the boards against them."
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Lexington, Ky.
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