Miami University
UT Martin
Skyhawks Top RedHawks, 90-57
12/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
OXFORD, Ohio – Junior forward Jessica Rupright and freshman guard Baleigh Reid combined for 31 points, but UT Martin shot 56.7 percent from the field to top the Miami women's basketball team 90-57 on Monday night. The RedHawks fall to 2-5 on the season, while UTM improves to 4-7.
The Skyhawks scored on their first two possessions and opened the game on a 7-0 run. Freshman forward Ana Richter ended the RedHawks’ scoring drought 3:20 into the contest to cut the gap to 7-2. Miami battled back to within two points at 14-12 after Rupright hit a pair of free throws with 13:40 to go in the opening stanza. UT Martin’s Katie Schubert made it a two-score game once again on the following possession when she hit a three-pointer from the corner.
After a junior forward Hannah McCue layup and freshman guard Kayla Brown free throw pulled the Red and White to within two points, the Skyhawks rattled off the next eight points to open up a 25-15 lead with 7:28. Miami cut the deficit to four on two occasions, the latest being two Rupright free throws that made it a 31-27 game with 4:33 remaining. UTM got the last scoring run of the half, scoring eight of the last 10 points to take a 39-29 edge into the locker room at the break.
Reid made a layup and Rupright drained a three to pull the RedHawks within five in the first minute of the second half. That brief surge was quelled when Jessy Ward got a friendly bounce on a three and Ashia Jones got a steal off a UTM press before setting up Tiara Caldwell’s layup that made it 44-34 with 18:24 to go. That started an 11-0 Skyhawk run that dug the RedHawks into a 50-34 hole with 16:14 remaining.
Free throws from Rupright pulled Miami to within 13 at 51-38 with 14:52 to play, but that was as close as the game would get the rest of the way. The final score matched the Skyhawks’ largest lead of the night.
The Skyhawks shot 56.7 percent from the floor and held the RedHawks to 32 percent shooting for the night. Neither team shot well from long range as UTM made 4-of-16 (25 percent) three-pointers compared to MU’s 3-of-15 (20 percent mark). UT Martin also finished with a 38-32 edge in rebounding and forced 25 Miami turnovers while getting 17 steals and only committing 15 miscues.
Reid (16 points) and Rupright (15) both scored in double figures to lead the Red and White. The Skyhawks had three players in double figures, led by Jones’ 35. She also posted 11 steals and nine rebounds.
Miami returns to the court on Dec. 20 when it faces Old Dominion in the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. (EST). Tim Bray has the call and it can be heard live on Miami All-Access for those who have a subscription.
