KENT, Ohio – The Miami University women's basketball team (21-5, 12-3 MAC) had its 11-game win streak snapped at Kent State on Wednesday, falling by a 58-67 margin despite outshooting the Golden Flashes from the field.
Savannah Kluesner and
Kendall McCoy led the RedHawk offense with 12 and 11 points, respectively. McCoy also had a team-high seven rebounds.
Both teams got off to a slow start as Kluesner's first basket scored the only points for either team in the first 3:18 of the game before Kent State got onto the board. Miami went on a 6-0 run to take an 8-3 lead midway through the first quarter.
Kent State put together a 7-2 run of its own to tie the game at 10 with 2:26 to play in the first quarter. McCoy gave Miami a three-point lead with her first basket of the night from behind the arc.
The Golden Flashes scored the final six points of the quarter to end the first 10 minutes with a 16-13 lead.
McCoy tied the game at 18 for the RedHawks with a three-pointer two minutes into the second quarter. After Kent State scored back-to-back baskets, Kluesner did the same to tie the game again at 22 points midway through the second quarter.
Lauren Dickerson held a defensive presence as she tallied two steals in the first half.
Dickerson scored the RedHawks' last five points of the half, including a three-pointer, to cut Miami's deficit to two going into the locker room.
McCoy sunk her third long-range shot of the game as Miami's first points of the second half as Miami trailed 30-31, the closest the game would get in the second half of play.
Kent State went on a 12-2 run to take a 43-34 lead with 3:44 remaining in the third quarter after the RedHawks came within one. The Golden Flashes extended their lead to 47-36, the largest lead of the game thus far, with 2:32 to play in the third quarter.
Kristen Levering ended the third quarter by completing a three-point play to cut Kent State's lead back down to single digits with one quarter to play.
The Golden Flashes began the fourth quarter with a 6-2 run to take a 53-41 lead with 7:46 to play but the RedHawks would not give up on defense.
Miami responded with a 6-2 run to cut Kent State's lead to 55-47 with less than six minutes remaining.
Leah Purvis hit a three-pointer midway through the quarter, followed by a jumper by Levering to come within five points with over three minutes to play.
The Golden Flashes made enough free throws down the stretch to hold off the RedHawks' surge and end the game at 67-58.
Miami concludes its road trip with a game at Buffalo on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
