OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University women's basketball team (10-3, 1-1 MAC) held off Toledo (9-4, 1-1 MAC) by a 65-64 margin on Wednesday.
Savannah Kluesner recorded her second-consecutive and third-overall double-double of the season, putting up 16 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.
Kendall McCoy,
Leah Purvis and
Lauren Dickerson also reached double figures, scoring 17, 12 and 11, respectively.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth game with neither team sinking back-to-back buckets. The first ten minutes saw three ties and six lead-changes. Four Miami players scored points as the RedHawks trailed the Rockets 13-14 after 10 minutes of play.
McCoy hit her second three-pointer of the evening to open the second quarter and give Miami a 16-14 lead.
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Toledo tied the game at 16 and 18 before taking the lead back with a free throw. The Rockets had a 19-18 lead with 6:28 to play in the first half. The RedHawks went on a 7-0 run with shots from Kluesner and Reid and a long-range shot from Purvis.
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Miami jumped out to a 25-19 lead with 4:15 remaining in the first half. Toledo sunk a free throw to cut Miami's lead to 25-20 but spectacular effort from Kluesner at both ends of the floor and another three-pointer from Purvis gave the RedHawks a 30-20 lead going into the locker room.
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Miami grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in the first half.
Toledo put together an 11-4 run to start the second half before McCoy reached double figures with a three-point shot with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter.
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The Rockets cut the RedHawks' lead to as little as one point during the third quarter despite Purvis and Kluesner also reaching double figures. Miami had a 48-43 lead after three quarters of play.
Toledo took its first lead since the second quarter with a 10-1 lead to open the fourth quarter. Miami trailed 49-53 with 6:35 to play. After the RedHawks called a timeout, they went on an 8-0 run off baskets from McCoy, Kluesner and Dickerson to take a 57-53 lead.
Toledo closes the gap to two points but Kluesner sinks two from the line to keep Miami's lead at four. Dickerson increases the RedHawks' lead to five points with 1:30 remaining but Toledo scores back-to-back to tie the game at 61 points with only 40 seconds left.
Kluesner hits both of her free throws with 17 seconds left to give Miami a 63-61 lead. Toledo cuts the lead to one with a free throw before McCoy hits two from the line to give the RedHawks a 65-62 lead with four seconds to play. The Rockets grabbed the offensive rebound on a missed three-pointer and put up a layup at the buzzer to cap the scoring at 65-64 in favor of Miami.
The RedHawks host Buffalo on Saturday, Jan. 12 for the Donate Life game as well as Red & White Appreciation Day and Dayton Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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