Women's Basketball Faces Western Michigan Wednesday in MAC Quarterfinal
3/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 4, 2002
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FOURTH-SEEDED REDHAWKS FACE WESTERN MICHIGAN IN QUARTERFINAL: With the momentum of a season-long six-game winning streak behind it, Miami University's women's basketball team (18-10, 11-5 MAC) makes its third consecutive Mid-American Conference Quarterfinal appearance at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday when it faces fifth-seeded Western Michigan University (16-14, 11-5 MAC).
The RedHawks and Broncos, who finished the season tied for fourth place in the final MAC regular-season standings, advanced to the quarterfinals via first-round defeats of Akron (80-60) and Central Michigan (77-67), respectively. Miami enters the quarterfinals with the No. 4 seed because of a 71-58 defeat of the Broncos on Jan. 5.
Mentored by fifth-year head coach Ron Stewart, Western Michigan has been one of the league's hottest teams over the past 20 games, posting a 13-7 record during that span and a 7-3 mark over the last 10 outings.
The Broncos, who led the MAC in field goal percentage in league games, are led by two of the league's most formidable interior players. Senior forward Karen Deurloo, a 2001 first-team all-MAC honoree, and sophomore forward Kristin Koetsier, the 2000 MAC Freshman of the Year, are averaging better than 30 points per game while shooting a combined 50 percent from the field. Freshman guard Casey Rost, a leading MAC Freshman of the Year candidate, leads the Bronco perimeter attack, averaging 14.6 points per game and shooting 38 percent from beyond the arc.
SERIES HISTORY: Wednesday's MAC Tournament quarterfinal game marks the 42nd time Miami and Western Michigan have clashed, with Miami holding a 24-18 series advantage. In MAC postseason action, WMU and Miami have split four games, with the Red and White prevailing in the most recent meeting, 76-69, in the 1996 MAC quarterfinals. Until a Jan. 5 defeat of the Broncos earlier this season, head coach Maria Fantanarosa had gone winless as a coach in three prior meetings with WMU.
THE LAST MEETING: Sparked by strong play in the paint and an impressive defensive effort, Miami snapped a three-game losing skid versus Western Michigan with a 71-58 defeat of the Broncos on Jan. 5 in Millett Hall. The RedHawks led just 33-29 at halftime, but opened the game up behind Kim Lancaster in the second half, pressing its advantage as high as 61-41 by the seven-minute mark. On the day, Miami restricted the Broncos to 42 percent shooting from the field and out-rebounded WMU by a dominant 40-24 edge. Lancaster led the way for the RedHawks, tallying 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Kristin Koetsier led the Broncos with a game-high 23 points.
TOURNEY TIDBITS: Miami is appearing in its 14th MAC Quarterfinal game, posting a 7-6 record in those contests ... Since the MAC re-expanded to include a quarterfinal round in 1988, the Red and White has qualified 14 of a possible 15 times ... Last season's semifinal appearance marked Miami's deepest penetration in the tournament since 1997 ... Miami is making its third MAC Tournament appearance as the No. 4 seed. In 1995, the fourth-seeded Red and White advanced to the MAC Championship game. Two seasons ago, the fourth-seeded RedHawks lost to Eastern Michigan in the quarterfinal round ... The RedHawks have not appeared in the MAC Championship game since 1995-the last time Kent State and Toledo did not meet in the championship contest ... Miami is the last team to beat Kent State prior to the championship round of the MAC Tournament, defeating the Flashes, 77-71, in a 1995 quarterfinal ... The Red and White has lost three straight MAC Semifinal games and three straight MAC Championship games.
A LONG DRY SPELL: Though Miami has made three MAC Championship appearances since it won the inaugural MAC Tournament in 1982, the Red and White has gone 20 seasons without being able to match the feat and nab the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance. When Miami seized the 1982 championship, led by current Hall of Famers Mary Ann Myers and Kris Livingston, with a 58-56 defeat of Northern Illinois, there was no NCAA Tournament for which to qualify. Instead, the Red and White advanced to the 1982 AIAW Quarterfinals. Miami is one of five MAC programs never to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
LOOKING BACK: Behind double-doubles from Cleveland-area products Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) and Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name), No. 4 Miami cruised to its third straight first-round MAC Tournament victory, ousting the No. 13-seeded University of Akron, 80-60. The RedHawks went on a 25-4 run midway through the first half and never let the Zips get closer than 17 points the remainder of the way.
Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) totaled a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds, while Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) added 15 points and six assists. Day contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Kozlowski added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Complete recaps and boxscores of this and all Miami games are found on pages 28-37.
HEAD COACH MARIA FANTANAROSA: A former standout on the court for the Red and White, Maria Fantanarosa is in her fourth season of working the sidelines for the Miami women's basketball program and owns a 62-48 (.564) record at Miami.
Since taking over a team that had no freshman class in 1998, she has guided the team to consecutive MAC Quarterfinal appearances and three straight MAC East Division runner-up finishes. Fantanarosa also has brought in and mentored back-to-back selections to the MAC all-freshmen team for only the second time in program history while helping four players to all-MAC accolades. A 1990 graduate of Miami, Fantanarosa was a two-time all-MAC honoree for the Red and White. Following her graduation, she went on to serve as an assistant women's basketball coach for Xavier (1990-94) and South Carolina (1994-97) before serving a one-year stint as head coach at Western Carolina (1997-98).
One of the most prolific scorers in high school girls basketball history, Fantanarosa's 3,823 career points while at Mt. Carmel Area High School in Kulpmont, Pa., rank among the all-time Top 10 nationally.
Fantanarosa owns a 4-2 MAC postseason record as a coach and 1-2 record as a player. She has guided Miami to three straight quarterfinal appearances.
OVER THE HUMP: With two wins last week, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa placed herself in a position she had never been in before. The architect behind two rebuilding programs, Fantanarosa owns a career head coaching record of 70-68 (.507), marking the first time her career record has been above .500. Fantanarosa has been playing catchup with her record since taking over a struggling Western Carolina program during the 1997-98 season and posting a 7-20 overall record.
CUSICK NAMED FIRST-TEAM ALL-MAC: Following a brilliant season, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) achieved what no Miami player had done since 1995 when she was named first-team all-MAC. Cusick, who led the MAC in scoring and steals, joined repeat selections Tamara Bowie, Stefanie Smiley and Kristen Koetsier and fellow first-time honoree Kate Miller on the first team. An honorable mention all-MAC pick her first two seasons, the junior is the first Miami player to go beyond honorable mention status since 1997. Monica Niemann was Miami's last first-team honoree.
'HAWKS ON THE RADIO: Miami fans who are unable to make the trip to Cleveland's Gund Arena for the 2000 Kraft Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament, will be able to catch all of the exciting action on the Miami Sports Network. As well as being broadcasted over the internet by Yahoo! Sports, fans also can tune into WMOH-1450 AM for the broadcast. The live internet broadcast can be accessed by going to the women's basketball schedule page on Miami's official website-www. MURedHawks.com.
ONE STEP AT A TIME: After seven league wins during her first season, nine during her second campaign and 10 last season, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa took the program a step further with a defeat of Buffalo on Feb. 26. The Red and White had not garnered 11 MAC wins since the 1996-97 season, when it went 12-6 and finished third in the conference. Miami matched a five-year high for overall wins last Saturday and can nab its highest win total since 1997 with one more victory.
STREAKING 'HAWKS: Miami's win over Akron last Saturday marked the sixth-straight by the RedHawks, who are their longest winning streak since 1996. Aside from a five-game stretch in December and two-game stretch in February when it alternated wins and losses, Miami has been a team of streaks. The RedHawks started the season on a two-game losing streak before recovering with a four-game winning streak. Entering MAC play, Miami took off on its first 5-0 league start in nearly 10 seasons before stumbling over its first four-game league losing streak in two years. Since a win at Marshall (Feb. 2) and a loss at Toledo (Feb. 5), Miami has been unbeaten.
FOLLOWING THROUGH: Under head coach Maria Fantanarosa, Miami has made a point of finishing strong. Through the past four seasons, Miami has posted a combined record of 14-6 (.700) through its final five regular-season games and has ended every regular season on a winning streak. In the months of February and March, Miami has posted an overall mark of 23-12 (.657) under Fantanarosa. The RedHawks posted an impressive 6-1 record this past February and are off to a 1-0 start in the month of March.
A TALE OF TWO DIVISIONS: Now in her fourth season in the Mid-American Conference, Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa is working to improve upon a 37-27 (.578) overall league record. Miami has risen to the occasion when it has come to divisional play over the past four seasons, posting an impressive 29-10 (.744) record. Overall, Miami has turned away 17 of its last 18 MAC East foes in the regular season and had won 12 straight until a Jan. 26 loss at Kent State.
Despite their success versus the East, Fantanarosa's RedHawks have not fared as well when heading West. Miami has gone just 8-17 (.320) versus the MAC West over the past four seasons and had lost 10 consecutive road games to MAC West foes until a 64-57 win at Central Michigan on Feb. 16.
OFFENSE WINS: The difference between winning and losing in the MAC has become a very simple matter of putting the ball in the basket for Miami. Through its 11 league wins, Miami blistered the nets, draining 315-of-625 (.504) field goal attempts. The RedHawks also knocked down 43 percent of their 3-point attempts in MAC wins. It was ugly in Miami's five league losses, in which the RedHawks hit just 104-of-292 (.356) field goal attempts and a dismal 29 percent from beyond the arc. On the season, Miami has posted a near flawless 16-1 record when out-shooting its opposition from the field but has gone 2-9 when being out-shot.
COMING FROM ALL ANGLES: Though Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) leads the MAC in scoring, the RedHawks are by no means an easy scout for opposing coaches. In all, seven Miami players have scored in double digits at least six times this season, with five tallying in double digits more than 10 times. The Red and White has placed at least two players in double figures in every game this season and has had more than three players in double figures 13 times. Along with Cusick's 26 double-digit performances, Miami has gotten 18 from Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), 16 from Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and 11 apiece from Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton) and Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name).
STRING OF TREYS: As testament to what has become a fine 3-point shooting tradition, the RedHawks are working to maintain a string of games with at least one 3-point field goal that dates back to March of 1993. Since that game, a MAC Semifinal loss to Kent State, Miami has drained a 3-point bucket in 251 consecutive games-the longest such streak in the MAC. Louisville holds the current NCAA record, which is over 300 games and counting. Individually, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) had a 3-point streak of her own come to an end on Feb. 23 when she went 0-of-1 from beyond the arc versus Ohio. Previously, Cusick had hit a trey in 29 consecutive games.
MAKING A STATEMENT: A two-time honorable mention all-MAC honoree over the past two seasons, Miami's Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) set her sights on bigger things this year, emerging as a leading candidate for the MAC Player of the Year Award. As of the most recent MAC rankings, Cusick ranked among the MAC's leaders in eight of a possible 12 categories. Cusick leads the league in points (17.6) and steals (2.93) per game, while ranking second in assists (5.79 apg) and 3-point field goals per game (2.54). In MAC play, Cusick averaged a league-best 18.4 points, which are two full points better than second-place Kristin Koetsier, and 5.75 assists per game, which are more than half an assist per game better than second-place Shala Crook.
20-POINT DIVA: With a 24-point outing versus Central Michigan on Feb. 16, Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) surpassed all-time leading scorer Monica Niemann (1991-95) for first place in Miami's career annals with 22 career 20-point games. Cusick cleared the 20-point barrier six times as a freshman and seven times as a sophomore. She broke Miami's single-season record on Feb. 23 when she poured in 23 points versus Ohio for her 10th 20-point effort of the season and added another 20-point effort in the regular-season finale versus Buffalo, netting 22 points.
TOUGH AS THEY COME: When opposing coaches are scouting Miami, they do not have to wonder whether or not point guard Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) will be on the floor. Cusick has played in all 85 games of her collegiate career thus far and has made a remarkable 82 consecutive starts. Opposing teams also can expect Cusick to show up on the stat sheet, where she has scored in double figures in 79 percent (67-of-85) of her career games and notched 24 outings of 20 points or more.
NEITHER SZCZERBIAK NOR HARPER: When Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) swiped her 200th steal versus Central Michigan on Feb. 16, she achieved something no one in Miami men's or women's basketball history had been able to do. With that steal, Cusick became the first Miami player to amass 1,000 points, 400 assists and 200 steals in her career. The junior, who currently has 1,245 points, 450 assists and 213 steals, could finish her career as Miami's all-time leader in both points and assists, while ranking as high as second in steals.
CHART CLIMBING: Although just a junior, Miami's Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) is making her presence felt in Miami's career record book. Cusick broke her first major career record on March 2, when she dished out six assists to surpass Carrie Kent's (1993-97) previous career assist record. Cusick currently has 450 career assists and could become the first Miami player to clear 500 career assists.
Already ranked among Miami's career Top 10 for points (4th-1,245), free throw percentage (4th-.797), 3-point field goals (3rd-177), steals (6th-213), field goals made (8th-430) and free throws made (8th-208), she could finish her career ranked among Miami's career Top 10 in 10 of 13 major statistical categories.
QUITE A SEASON: In the midst of all her career record chases, what Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has achieved during her junior season has been almost overshadowed until now. Cusick's 494 points currently rank as the third-highest single-season point total in Miami history and are just 30 points shy of Mary Ann Myers' (1978-82) single-season record. The junior, who needs five assists to match D'Nelle Seiple's (1988-92) single-season assist record, already has broken Miami single-season records for 3-point field goals made (71) and attempted (201). Cusick is the only player in Miami history to notch consecutive seasons with 400 or more points.
HOMECOMING: Wednesday's return to Gund Arena marks a sort of homecoming for Miami sophomores and Cleveland-area natives Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) and Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name), who were both Cleveland Plain Dealer "Best of the Best" honorees during their prep careers. The duo led Holy Name to a four-year record of 83-15 (.845) during their careers.
A NOSE FOR THE BASKET: Sophomore guard Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name), who has worn a protective mask since suffering a broken nose versus Kentucky (Dec. 5), has been providing Miami with a steady long-range threat over the second half of the season. Kozlowski, who has drained three or more treys six times in league play, has hit 33 3-pointers over the past 19 outings, an average of 1.7 treys per game. The sophomore amassed her first career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds versus Akron on Jan. 9. Kozlowski, who ranks eighth on Miami's career 3-point charts, hit a career-best four 3-pointers and tallied a career-high 20 points in a Jan. 23 loss at Eastern Michigan.
IT'S A GREAT DAY: Following a mild slump that encompassed much of the MAC season, Miami's Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) appears to be returning to form at the right time. Following a Jan. 12 defeat of Ohio, in which she poured in a career-high 28 points, Day ranked 11th in the MAC in scoring at 13.9 points per game and was hitting a league-best 60 percent of her shots from the floor. The sophomore also ranked fifth in the MAC in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game and led the league in offensive rebounds. Since that time, Day had faded considerably, averaging 7.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while hitting 32 percent of her shots from the field. In Miami's first-round defeat of Akron, Day notched her first double-double since December, netting 14 points and matching a career-high with 12 rebounds.
SENSATIONAL SOPH OR SOPHOMORE SLUMP?: Following a fabulous freshman season in which she earned honorable mention all-MAC, MAC all-freshman and MAC all-tournament recognition, Miami's Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) has been hovering between sensational and the dreaded sophomore slump this season. Through 16 games in which Lancaster has cleared the double-figure plateau, she is averaging 15.6 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the field. In 12 games where Lancaster has been held to less than 10 points, she is averaging just 6.3 points and 5.1 rebounds while shooting a mere 36 percent from the floor.
SHE SHOOTS, SHE SCORES: Miami freshman Kim Smith (Gary, Ind./West Side) has been showing promising signs of what may lie ahead in her collegiate career. On Dec. 15, Smith shredded Detroit for 18 points and 10 rebounds, notching her first career double-double. On the day, the forward scorched the nets for eight buckets in 12 attempts. Smith was an even more dominant scorer on Feb. 2 versus Marshall, draining 8-of-11 buckets on the way to a career-high 19 points. The freshman, who uses her athleticism to get inside for close-range shots, has hit a solid 60-of-102 (.588) shots from the field, which ranks fourth on Miami's single-season Top 10 list.
SHE'S BECK: Since almost disappearing following an injury early in the season, Miami's Hillary Beck (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has made an inspired return over the past 10 contests, providing the Red and White with a valuable reserve. Over the past two games, Beck has netted 7.5 points and 2.5 assists per game while averaging 18.5 minutes of action. The junior, who can play either guard position, has provided the RedHawks with an eighth regular player since the loss of Katie Schwegmann (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart) to a season-ending knee injury.
BENCH PLAY: Though Miami's starters are scoring more than 75 percent of the team's points this season, the bench has played an integral role in the team's successes and failures. The RedHawks have posted an impressive 12-2 record this season when their bench outscores the opposition's reserves. On the contrary, Miami is 5-8 when its bench is outscored.
PETTY THEFT: Averaging 12.0 steals a game through 28 contests, Miami finds itself once again leading the MAC in steals per game. Last season, Miami ranked first in the MAC with 12.0 steals an outing. Leading the RedHawks are Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo), who leads the league with 2.93 steals a contest, and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who rates third in the MAC at 2.46 steals a game. In all, seven different Miami players have totaled at least 25 steals this season.
SEEING DOUBLE-DOUBLE: After totaling five double-doubles through the entire 2000-01 season, Miami is making up for lost time during its 2001-02 campaign. Led by Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who have each notched five double-doubles this season, the RedHawks have amassed 14 double-doubles on the year. Melanie Kozlowski (Parma, Ohio/Holy Name) has added two double-doubles this season, while Jana Butler (Findlay, Ohio/Liberty-Benton) and Kim Smith (Gary, Ind./West Side) have notched Miami's remaining double-doubles. Of Miami's current players, Lancaster leads the way with eight career double-doubles, while Day has five and Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) has three.
CRASHING THE BOARDS: After ranking 10th in the MAC in rebounding a year ago, Miami has been attacking the boards with new-found determination this season. Of 28 games thus far, the RedHawks have matched or out-rebounded the opposition 17 times, recording a 13-4 record when doing so. In contrast, Miami has posted a 4-6 mark when being outworked on the glass. The RedHawks presently rate third in the MAC in overall rebounding margin at +1.2. Leading the way for the Red and White are Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name), who both rank among the Top 12 in the MAC in rebounds per game. Miami is one of just three league schools to have two players ranked among the Top 12.
THE MAGIC NUMBER: Miami has scored more than 70 points 15 times this season and posted a 14-1 record when doing so. On the other hand, Miami is 4-9 when scoring 70 or less. Defensively, the RedHawks are 12-2 when restricting the opposition to 70 or fewer points.
REVERSING A TREND: One of the keys to Miami's success in MAC play has been its ability to win the turnover battle. Entering MAC play, Miami ranked 11th in the MAC in turnovers while averaging 22.0 miscues per game. The Red and White, which led the league in turnover margin a year ago, was further struggling with a turnover margin of -2.1, which ranked 10th in the league.
It was a different story in MAC play, as the RedHawks maintained a turnover margin of +3.8 in league action, which ranked second in the conference. Miami forced a league-high 20.9 turnovers a game versus MAC foes, while committing 17.1 miscues of its own. Overall, Miami ranks second in the MAC in turnover margin (+1.82).
SCHWEGMANN LOST FOR THE SEASON: Miami freshman Katie Schwegmann (Melbourne, Ky./Bishop Brossart), who was coming into her own after back-to-back solid shooting days versus Ohio (Jan. 12) and Kent State (Jan. 15), will miss the rest of the season after suffering a lateral meniscus tear in her right knee on Jan. 19 versus Northern Illinois. Schwegmann was averaging 11.2 minutes per game as an off-guard for the Red and White. She tallied 10 points in Miami's Jan. 12 defeat of Ohio. The freshman was the 2001 Kentucky Miss Basketball.
BODIES WORKING OVERTIME: Overtime has been paying better than time and a half for Miami over the past three seasons. The RedHawks' thrilling Nov. 28 defeat of Valparaiso extended Miami's string of overtime victories to four consecutive. No current Miami player has lost a collegiate overtime game, and head coach Maria Fantanarosa has not lost an overtime contest since a 1998 loss at Buffalo.
Miami has gone into overtime twice in 30 MAC Tournament games, falling to Toledo, 79-65, in the 1995 MAC Championship game and defeating Ball State University, 91-88, in last season's MAC Quarterfinal.
DAY NAMED VERIZON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Already in the midst of a break-out season, Miami's Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) became the first Miami player since 1995 to earn Verizon Academic All-District IV honors earlier this week when she received third-team status. One of just two sophomores to make the 15-member team, Day is only the second Miami player to receive the honor, which encompasses all Division I teams in Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. Lisa Kovack was a third-team all-district selection in both 1994 and 1995. Day is an English education major.
MILLETT MAGIC: Miami, which has won 16 of its last 19 in Millett Hall, has certainly created some Millett magic over the last four seasons. This season, Miami finished at 10-3 in Millett Hall overall and 6-2 in league play. Last season, the Red and White went 10-2 at home and finished the season with seven consecutive home wins. The RedHawks are 29-8 (.784) at home over the last four seasons and had turned away 10 straight MAC opponents in Millett until Northern Illinois ended the streak on Jan. 19. The RedHawks, who have won 11 consecutive home games against MAC East Division opponents, have not had a losing home record since the 1991-92 campaign and have finished at .500 only twice during that 10-year span.
ROADHAWKS: Miami, which played 15 of its 27 overall games and seven of its 11 non-conference games on the road this season, forged an 8-7 record outside of Millett Hall this season, clinching the RedHawks' first winning road record since they went 8-6 during the 1992-93 season. Over the past eight seasons, Miami had reached .500 on the road just twice while posting a 47-63 (.427) record. Last season, Miami went 6-7 when playing in hostile surroundings. In MAC action, Miami has posted a 15-17 road record during head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure.
CUSICK AND DAY REAP MAC HONORS: Heather Cusick (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) and Colleen Day (Independence, Ohio/Holy Name) have wasted little time in grabbing the attention of their peers this season. Cusick was honored as the MAC East Division Player of the Week on Dec. 3 after averaging 22.5 points per game in wins over Valparaiso and Butler. Versus Valparaiso, Cusick drained a game-tying 3-point field goal as time expired and later hit a clinching jump shot in overtime. Cusick earned the honor again after leading Miami to a 2-0 MAC start on Jan. 7.
Day was honored as the MAC's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Week on Dec. 10 after averaging 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as Miami defeated Kentucky and tumbled at Clemson. She owns a 3.89 GPA in English and secondary education. Day was named the MAC's East Division Player of the Week after recording a double-double versus Detroit on December 15. On Jan. 14, Day was honored again when she earned East Division Player of the Week honors for the second time.
During head coach Maria Fantanarosa's tenure, Miami has claimed MAC Player or Scholar-Athlete of the week honors a total of 16 times.
LANCASTER NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MAC: One year removed from a remarkable freshman campaign in which she averaged 14.9 points per game and earned honorable mention all-MAC, MAC all-Freshman and MAC all-Tournament honors, sophomore forward Kim Lancaster (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) was honored this past October as one of five players named to the preseason all-MAC team. Lancaster burst onto the collegiate scene a year ago, setting a RedHawk freshman record with 432 points. The forward set a Miami single-game record with 40 points versus Ball State in the MAC Quarterfinals.
POWER OF YOUTH: With no scholarship seniors on a team that returns all five of its starters from last season, Miami is undoubtedly one of the youngest veteran teams in the nation. Last season, head coach Maria Fantanarosa gave 124 of a possible 145 starts, or 86 percent, to her sophomore and freshmen classes. Miami's underclassmen also accounted for 4,609 of 5,875 minutes played, or 78 percent. During the 1999-2000 campaign, Miami's freshman class-the current junior class-made an instant impact, amassing 1,906 of a possible 5,625 minutes, or 34 percent of the team's total playing time.
REDHAWKS INK FOUR TO NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT: With the goal of signing true centers and impact off-guards, Miami's women's basketball program announced the signing of four players to national letters of intent. Comprising head coach Maria Fantanarosa's third recruiting class are April Lux (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison), a 6-foot-3 center, Cindi Merrill (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), a 5-foot-10 guard, Amber Miller (Vermillion, Ohio/Vermillion), a 6-foot-4 center, and Kelsey Sullivan (Springboro, Ohio/Springboro), a 6-foot guard. With the addition of the class, Miami will have four classes of scholarship players for the first time since Fantanarosa took over the program four seasons ago.
