March 15, 2018 Box Score | Box Score (PDF) 
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OXFORD, Ohio -- The Miami University women's basketball team's historic 2017-18 season came to an end Thursday, as the RedHawks fell to Duquesne in first-round WNIT action at Millett Hall. After a closely contested first 30 minutes, the `Hawks ran out of steam in the end, falling by a final score of 69-56. Miami closes the year at 21-11.
Sophomore Savannah Kluesner and junior Kendall McCoy led the way for Miami with 17 points apiece. Kluesner also grabbed 10 rebounds, making it her fourth double-double of the year, while McCoy notched seven boards herself. Sophomore Lauren Dickerson finished with 12 points, putting her in double figure scoring for the 30th time this season.
Two offensive rebounds on Miami's first two possessions led to the game's first points. From there, early offense from Dickerson and some stout defense allowed the `Hawks to jump out to a 9-4 lead at the quarter's halfway point. The Miami offense would stagnate for the next few minutes, but a McCoy jumper and a Molly McDonagh free throw preserved the lead at 12-10 after 10 minutes of play.
The second quarter would take on more of an up-and-down feel as each team began to push the tempo. The `Hawks would grab four takeaways in the early minutes of the frame but were unable to capitalize on the offensive end. The Dukes took their first lead on a three-pointer at the 5:35 mark of the quarter, but the RedHawks would keep pace. An and-one layup from Dickerson with just over a minute left gave Miami a slight cushion, but Duquesne answered with a layup of their own before the buzzer to send the teams into the locker room with the score 28-27, Miami.
After a slow start, Duquesne bounced back to shoot 44 percent from the floor in the first half, while MU fired at a 36 percent clip. The `Hawks offset this disparity by winning the turnover battle 7-4 and holding a 5-1 advantage on the offensive glass. Dickerson led all scorers at the halfway point with 10.
The start of the second half wouldn't be kind to the RedHawks as the Dukes used a 10-4 run to go up 37-32 with 7:42 remaining in the third. Duquesne would threaten to pull away, pushing their advantage all the way to nine points, but Miami would bring it back with a Kluesner three-point play that narrowed the gap to 41-39 with 4:14 left. Dickerson then completed the 9-0 run on the next possession with a driving layup that forced a Duquesne timeout. The Dukes went on to hit a three-pointer with just over a minute to play, putting them ahead 46-43 to start the final quarter.
Leah Purvis converted an old-fashioned three-point play three minutes into the period for Miami's first field goal of the quarter, but Duquesne quickly answered with a trey from beyond the arc. This started an 8-0 run, and the RedHawks found themselves with their biggest deficit of the contest, calling a timeout down 57-46 with 5:19 left to play. McCoy singlehandedly brought Miami back into the game, scoring six straight to pull the team within five. Unfortunately, this would be the closest the `Hawks would get as Duquesne closed out the game, 69-56.
Miami finished the game shooting 22-69 from the field, compared to 24-56 for Duquesne. The RedHawks won the rebounding battle, 43-37. Duquesne's Chassidy Omogrosso led all scorers with 31 points.
Despite coming to an end Thursday, the 2017-18 campaign was one to remember for the Red and White, as they eclipsed the 20-win mark and reached postseason play for the first time since 2011-12. Head Coach Megan Duffy's 10-win turnaround from last season was the most by any first-year coach in the nation. The `Hawks will return four-of-five starters for 2018-19, including All-MAC first-team member Dickerson.
