Feb. 18, 2007
Final Stats
ATHENS, Ohio - Running into the hot-shooting Ohio Bobcats (15-10; 8-5), the Miami University women's basketball team (12-14; 6-7 MAC) fell, 87-74, Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center. Ohio hit 58 percent of its shots, including 64 percent in the first half, as it handed Miami its fifth straight road loss.
Junior Amanda Jackson led Miami with 21 points, while sophomores Jenna Schone (19 points) and Ashley Hawkins (12 points) also scored in double figures. The difference in the game was the final 12 minutes of the first half, as the Bobcats turned a one-point lead into a 52-28 halftime advantage with a 30-7 run over the final 11:55 of the first half. It was Ohio's sixth win in the past seven games.
Both teams filled up the basket early, but it was the Bobcats who carried a 12-9 lead into the first media timeout. Jackson scored Miami's first five points off a 3-pointer from the right wing and a strong drive to the basket, but Ohio hit a pair of 3-pointers and took a three-point lead on Lauren Kohn's basket with 16:08 left in the first half.
The back-and-forth battle continued as Hawkins tied the game at 12-12 with a 3-pointer from the left wing at the 15-minute mark, but a 17-9 Bobcat run, punctuated by Kohn's baseline 3-pointer, gave Ohio a 29-21 lead with 10:16 remaining in the half and forced Miami to burn a 30-second timeout.
Ohio scored the next four points out of the timeout, and after sophomore Jenna Schone's 3-pointer from the left wing at the 8:50 mark, the Bobcats put in five straight points, extending their lead to 38-24 with 7:24 until halftime.
The Bobcats led by as many as 24 points in the first half and took a 52-28 lead into halftime. After a sizzling start, Miami scored only seven points over the final 11:55 of the first half and shot 32 percent from the field in the half. Ohio, meanwhile, was red-hot from the floor, hitting on 64 percent of their attempts (21-for-33) and 67 percent (6-of-9) from behind the 3-point arc. Jackson led Miami with nine first-half points.
Ohio scored the first six points after halftime, and although Miami answered with six straight points off baskets from Schone and juniors Laura Markwood and Sarah Hull, Miami still trailed by 25 points at the 16-minute mark.
Miami chipped away at the Bobcats double-digit lead, getting it down to 19 with 8:17 remaining in game after five straight points from Jackson, but Ohio pushed it lead back above 20 with 7:39 remaining.
Getting as close as 11 points with 1:03 remaining, Miami's late rally fell short as Ohio hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute.
Miami plays its second of two straight road games Wednesday when it travels to face the Akron Zips. Tip off is slated for 7 p.m. at James A. Rhodes Arena.
