Feb. 17, 2018 Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
KENT, Ohio - Unselfish basketball and hot shooting from beyond the arc paced the Miami women's basketball team to a 65-59 victory at Kent State on Saturday.
The RedHawks (16-9, 8-6 Mid-American) made 52.9 percent of their threes and dished out 17 assists to get back in the win column following a week long layoff.
The teams traded baskets in the early going with a Kendall McCoy three-pointer spotting the Red and White a 7-6 lead roughly four minutes into the contest. McCoy netted five of MU's 11 first quarter points in a low scoring opening 10 minutes as it held an 11-10 lead after one.
Baleigh Reid hit a shot to open the second and later a Lauren Dickerson three gave the Red and White a 16-12 lead 2:02 into the frame. After Kent State (11-15, 4-10 MAC) netted consecutive buckets to tie it up, Leah Purvis connected from long range to make it 19-16 with 5:15 left until the break.
A Kent State hoop made it a one-point game, but Savannah Kluesner and Reid hit jumpers on consecutive possessions to extend the lead to 23-18, its largest of the game at that point. The teams traded hoops for a bit, but Miami began hitting from long range as a triples by Dickerson and Kayla Brown had the RedHawks leading 31-24 at the half.
Miami continued ballooning its lead thanks to its long-range prowess as Dickerson and McCoy connected from beyond the arc to bump the lead to 41-31 with 6:39 left in the third. After it got to 41-35, the Red and White countered with a Purvis three and a McCoy jumper to pad the lead at 46-35 with under four minutes remaining in the quarter. The Golden Flashes did whittle the lead down to 46-40, but McCoy and Savannah Kluesner both went 2-for-2 at the charity stripe to extend the lead to 10 and it eventually took a 50-42 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Golden Flashes netted the first four points of the fourth and began the frame on a 7-2 run that pulled them to within three at 52-49. A three-pointer by Purvis quelled that run and doubled the lead at 55-49 with 6:11 left.
After a pair of Jordan Korinek free throws pulled KSU within four again, Kluesner converted back-to-back layups to extend the lead to eight at 59-51 with three minutes to go. The Golden Flashes again pulled to within four on a bucket and two free throws. However, Brown came through with a big bucket, canning a jumper with 1:35 left to make it 61-55. Kent State would get no closer than four the rest of the way as Miami secured the road win.
While Kent State had a slight edge in field goal percentage (45.5 percent to 43.6 percent) and had a 37-24 rebounding advantage, the RedHawks outscored the Golden Flashes by 24 from beyond the arc by nailing 9-of-17 threes to KSU's 1-of-10 figure. MU also hit all eight of its free throws. Miami also forced 14 turnovers while committing just nine and assisting on 17 of its 24 buckets.
Five RedHawks scored in double figures, led by McCoy's 14. Dickerson netted 13 while dishing out eight assists, Kluesner poured in 12 while Brown and Purvis chipped in 11 apiece in a balanced scoring effort.
Miami returns to the court on Wednesday when it takes on Akron on the road. Opening tip is at 7 p.m.
