Feb. 21, 2006
Final Stats
OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University's women's basketball team was unable to record back-to-back league wins for the first time this season Tuesday night, as the RedHawks went the final 9:36 of the game without a field goal and dropped a 56-51 decision to the University of Akron.
In a match-up of the MAC's 11th- and 12th-ranked field goal percentage offenses, baskets were at a premium early. Miami led 4-0 before Akron netted its first score at 15:31, and the teams went back-and-forth from there. Miami led by as much as 16-13 after a Jenna Schone (Pickerington, OH/North) 3-pointer, but Akron responded with an 8-2 run that forced a Miami timeout with the RedHawks trailing, 21-18, at the four-minute mark.
Bolstered by three Stephanie Ford (Indianapolis, IN/Franklin Central) free throws and another Schone 3-pointer, Miami compiled a 6-1 run of its own to regain the lead at 1:23. Akron would tie the game with a pair of late free throws, but Cindi Merrill (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville), who tallied 11 first-half points, pierced the cords with a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to send Miami into the locker room with a 27-24 edge.
Akron opened the second-half scoring with a 3-pointer of its own, and the teams matched one another bucket-for-bucket over the next four minutes, forging a 34-34 tie by the first media timeout. Though there would be six ties in the first eight minutes, Miami refused to fall behind, and, inside of the 12-minute mark, the RedHawks got back-to-back 3-pointers from Merrill and Schone to post a 46-42 edge with 10:57 to play.
Though the Zips struggled through a four-minute scoring drought, Miami, which was struggling to score on its own, was unable to add substantially to its edge, taking a game-high 50-44 lead into the final seven minutes. Akron ended its drought with a layup at 5:54 and by the four-minute mark, the Zips were within 50-48 and in possession of the ball. A jumper by Jessie Crooks with three minutes to play knotted the score at 50, and the game was headed for the wire.
A Merrill free throw briefly put Miami back in front, but Akron took its first lead of the half moments later when Niki McCoy buried two free throws. Mired in a more-than nine minute field goal drought, Miami came up empty on its next two possessions while Akron pushed its advantage to three points with a shot-clock beating jumper and just 13 seconds remaining. Miami's desperation 3-point attempt was off the mark as time expired, sealing the RedHawks' ninth loss in the past 11 outings.
Merrill led the RedHawks, who shot a dismal 28.8 percent from the field, with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists. Schone recorded 12 points off four 3-pointers, notching her third straight double-digit scoring effort. The Zips, who moved within a game of Miami in the MAC East standings, were paced by Crooks' 16 points.
The RedHawks return to the road Saturday when they take on MAC East rival Kent State, which downed Miami in overtime earlier this season, at 7 p.m.
