Jan. 26, 2008
Box Score
OXFORD, Ohio - Miami University's women's basketball trailed by nine points with 25 seconds to play and rallied within three points with three seconds to play, but Northern Illinois walked away with a 77-74 win in Mid-American Conference action Saturday afternoon. Northern Illinois (7-12; 3-3 MAC) scored 55 points in the second half, while Miami (11-9; 3-3 MAC) shot just 29.6 percent in the second half.
Northern Illinois opened the game a perfect 4-of-4 from the field in the first four minutes of action and the Huskies took an 8-4 advantage heading into the first media timeout. After the Huskies took an 11-6 lead at the 13:55 mark of the half, senior guard Amanda Jackson scored eight straight points, including back-to-back treys, to give Miami a 14-11 lead with 11:28 to play in the first half. Still holding on to a three-point lead, 21-18, Miami went scoreless for over four minutes, but the RedHawks defense held Northern Illinois to just two points over that stretch as the RedHawks held on to a one-point cushion, 21-20, with 5:31 remaining in the half. The RedHawks ended the half on a 16-2 run to increase their lead to 37-22 heading into the half. Senior forward Laura Markwood scored eight of the 16 points during the spurt.
Jackson led Miami with 16 first-half points and Markwood posted a double-double in the first half with 13 points and 13 rebounds. The RedHawks outscored the Huskies 15-2 in points off turnovers in the half.
The Huskies came out of the half and tied the game, 43-43, as Northern Illinois went on a 21-6 run in opening 5:10 of the half. Northern Illinois' Kylie York hit five treys during that span. Markwood responded with back-to-back three-pointers to give the RedHawks a 49-44 advantage with 13:28 remaining, but the Huskies battled back to take the lead, 52-51 with 11:24 to play. Miami stayed within one point, 56-57, with 7:30 remaining, but the Huskies extended their lead to eight points, 64-56, with 6:11 to play off of four free throws and a three-pointer by Tara Michels. Northern Illinois led by nine with 25 seconds to play, but behind back-to-back three-pointers from junior guard Jenna Schone, Miami cut its deficit to three points with 10 seconds left in the game. Miami forced a steal, but a last-second three-point attempt by Schone just missed as Northern Illinois left Millett Hall with a 77-74 win.
Markwood finished with a career-high 24 points and 17 rebounds, her sixth double-double of the season and her third consecutive double-double. Jackson finished with 27 points, her 15th 20-plus point performance of the season.
Kylie York led the Huskies with a career-high 27 points and she hit a career-high seven three-pointers.
Miami begins a two-game road stretch in the state of Michigan starting with a trip to Ypsilanti, Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 26. The RedHawks and Eastern Michigan tip at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, before Miami returns to Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 2 to face Central Michigan at 4 p.m.
