ON TAP: Miami (8-6, 1-1 MAC) plays its first road conference game of the season on Saturday against Central Michigan (9-4, 2-0 MAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on The Miami Sports Network from Van Wagner and watch on ESPN+.
LAST TIME OUT: Miami came back from a 14-point deficit late in the third quarter to beat Northern Illinois 66-64 for the RedHawks' first conference win of the season.
Monique Esbrand tied the game with a three-pointer with one minute remaining before winning the game with the steal and layup with just 1.8 seconds left. Esbrand had 13 points as one of four Miami players to reach double figures.
Savannah Kluesner led the team with 19 points while
Lauren Dickerson and
Peyton Scott each had 11. Dickerson leads the offense this season with 16.7 points per game. Kluesner is averaging a team-high 8.7 rebounds per game.
ABOUT CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas enter the matchup with the RedHawks undefeated in conference play, despite their first two MAC games being on the road. On Wednesday, Central Michigan beat Ohio by a 73-71 margin in dramatic fashion as Gabrielle Bird hit the game-winning three-point shot with seven seconds remaining after Ohio took the lead with 10 seconds to play. Micaela Kelly led the Chippewas' offense with 21 points while Bird picked up the double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds). Kelly leads CMU and the conference in scoring as she averages 24 points per game. Kyra Bussell leads the team with seven rebounds per game.
SERIES WITH THE CHIPPEWAS: Miami has the 32-21 edge in the all-time series against Central Michigan after ending the RedHawks' nine-game losing streak with a win in Mount Pleasant last season. Miami won the Jan. 16 meeting by a 70-67 margin, handing CMU its first home conference loss since 2016. The game was tied at 67 with five seconds to play as Kluesner got the inbound pass and drove to the basket, drawing the foul and completing the three-point play to cap scoring. Kluesner led the RedHawks with 21 points and seven rebounds.
Kendall McCoy (17 points),
Leah Purvis (13 points) and Dickerson (10 points) also scored in double figures. Reyna Frost led the Chippewas with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
LOOKING AHEAD: The RedHawks are on the road again on Wednesday, facing Eastern Michigan. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
