Box Score | Box Score (PDF) | Coach Wright Postgame

VALPARAISO, Ind. -- The Miami University women's basketball team jumped to an early lead and held on late to earn a 75-72 victory over Valparaiso in its first road game of the season on Wednesday. The RedHawks improve to 4-2 on the season, while the Crusaders fall to 0-5.

Sophomore guard Baleigh Reid led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. Sophomore forward Molly McDonagh continued her strong play as of late with a career-high 16 points and great defense on Valpo's final three-point attempt to help finish off the victory for Miami.

For the game, the RedHawks shot 46.6 percent (27-for-58), while holding the Crusaders to a 36.8 percent (21-for-57) shooting. Valparaiso got back into the game in the second half by hitting six 3-pointers and finishing 20-for-25 from the free throw line. Miami got the stops when it needed to in the fourth quarter, forcing the Crusaders to miss four of their last five from behind the arc.

An old-fashioned three-point play from Reid got Miami's offense going right off the bat. Layups from McDonagh and freshman forward Kristen Levering, along with a three-pointer from freshman guard Leah Purvis gave the `Hawks a quick 10-2 lead at the 7:44 mark of the first quarter. After the Crusaders closed to within five at 12-7, buckets from sophomore guard Ana Richter, Purvis and McDonagh made it 18-7 with 3:53 to go. A jumper at the end of the period by freshman guard Kendall McCoy made it 22-11 in favor of Miami at the end of one.

The RedHawks continued to hit their shots as the second quarter began. Back-to-back three-pointers from Purvis and Levering made it 30-13 with 7:49 left and forced Valpo to use another timeout. Reid scored five more points, while senior forward Tamira Ford had a pair of layups, but a 14-9 run from the Crusaders made it a 39-27 score with 3:14 to go in the half. A layup by Richter and a three-pointer from senior forward Jessica Rupright completed Miami's scoring and sent the Red and White into the break with a 44-31 advantage.

Miami shot an impressive 52.8 percent (19-for-36) during the first half, while holding Valparaiso to 26.7 percent (8-for-30) shooting. Levering led the RedHawks with nine points and the team held a 23-17 rebounding advantage.

Reid and Rupright each hit layups, but the Crusaders began hitting their three-pointers to get back into the contest. In front 52-44 with 2:57 to go in the third quarter, Rupright hit back-to-back layups, while McDonagh drained a pair of free throws to extend the advantage back to 14. The RedHawks took a 60-48 lead into the final period.

Despite buckets from McDonagh and Richter, Valpo slowly creeped closer as the fourth quarter went on. With Miami in front 70-60 with 5:18 remaining, a 9-2 run over the next three minutes pulled the Crusaders to within three at 72-69 at the 1:55 mark. McDonagh hit two free throws, while Reid put in one, but a three-pointer by Valparaiso with 1:16 to go made it a three-point game. The Crusaders got the ball back with 33 seconds left and had two opportunities to tie, but McDonagh's strong defense altered the final shot and it hit the backboard at the buzzer to give Miami a 75-72 win.

Levering finished with nine points, while Purvis had eight. All 12 active RedHawk players saw action with 10 of them getting on the scoreboard. Miami was smart with the ball all night long, finishing with a season-low nine turnovers. The Red and White won the rebounding battle 38-32. Valparaiso was led by Dani Franklin with 18 points.

Miami returns home for the final time in the non-conference season when it hosts Oakland on Saturday. Game time is 2 p.m. and it will air live on ESPN3.