ON TAP: The Miami University women's basketball team will play in the FIU Christmas Classic on Dec. 20-21. On Friday, the RedHawks face George Washington at 2 p.m. and compete with Florida International the following day at 12 p.m. Both contests will take place at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center.

FINDING HER GROOVE: Over the past three games, Enjulina Gonzalez has averaged 22.3 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She scored 22 points in a loss to Western Kentucky and added a 27 points in a win at Dayton. Earlier this week she poured in a game-high 18 points against Purdue.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Amber Tretter recorded 10 double-doubles last season as a true freshman with the RedHawks. In fact, her 222 rebounds was the most in a single-season by a freshman in program history. This season she is nearly averaging a double-double in points (11.1) and rebounds (7.3), despite only playing 25.0 minutes per contest. 

ABOUT GEORGE WASHINGTON: George Washington is 6-4 on the season and is coming off a 62-47 victory over American on Dec. 16. Makayla Andrews is tops on the team, averaging 13.3 points/game, while Sara Lewis averages 6.9 boards/contest. The Revolutionaries out-rebound their opponents by 11.9 boards per contest.

ABOUT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL: FIU is 3-6 on the year and most recently dropped a 72-56 contest to UT Arlington back on Dec. 16. Mya Kone is tops on the team in scoring (21.0) and rebounding (14.0), but hasn't played since the season-opener. Parris Atkins (14.0), Isnelle Natabou (11.2) and Angena Belloso (11.1) all score in double figures for the Panthers.

SERIES HISTORY: This will be the first meeting with George Washington and Miami has only faced FIU once. The Panthers won 82-60 back on Dec. 31, 1986.

PURDUE RECAP: Miami came up short against visiting Purdue on Tuesday night at Millett Hall, falling by a score of 67-51. Enjulina Gonzalez scored a game-high 18 points for the RedHawks, while Tamar Singer added 11 points and five steals. The RedHawks trailed 44-43 with 6:53 left in the contest, before the Boilermakes finished the game on a 23-8 run.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Miami is averaging 69.0 points this season after averaging 53.9 points last year. Helping with the offensive improvement have been three point shooting, assists and rebounds. This season Miami is connecting on 7.5 three's per game (4.9 in 2023-24) and are outrebounding their opponents by 2.8 boards/game (-3.8 in 2023-24). Miami is also averaging 14.4 assists per game, compared to 11.6 last season. 

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN: Coach Box added seven new faces to the 2024-25 season and their impact was felt immediately. Six of Miami's top seven scorers are newcomers this season and six of the top eight rebounders were on a different team a year ago. Freshman Tamar Singer, sophomore Enjulina Gonzalez and senior Maya Chandler, three new additions, have 66 of Miami's 115 assists this season.

1,000 POINT CLUB: Maya Chandler has scored 1,074 career points between three different programs. She has scored 48 points with the RedHawks, had 149 points in one season at SMU and in three years at Loyola-Chicago she scored 877 points and was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2020-21. She has played in 125 games throughout her career, making 105 starts.

IN THE MAC: Miami has a handful of players at or near the top of several statistical categories.
• Enjulina Gonzalez (14.4) ranks fifth in the MAC in scoring, while Amber Tretter (11.1) is 21st. Tretter is also sixth in rebounding (7.3), second in blocks (1.1) and fifth in field goal percentage (53.4%).
• Tamar Singer ranks seventh in the MAC in assists (3.9).
• Miami, who leads the MAC in steals/game (13.0), has five players in the top-17: Tamar Singer (2.4, 3rd), Núria Jurjo (1.8, 9th), Enjulina Gonzalez (1.5, 15th), Amber Tretter (1.5, 15th) and Maya Chandler (1.4, 17th).
• No RedHawks rank in the top-25 in minutes played.

HANGING AROUND: Senior Katey Richason, along with Clare Chambers, are the lone remaining players prior to Coach Box's arrival. Richason has made the most of the change in leadership. Last season the Zionsville, Ind. native recorded career-bests in points (8.7), rebounds (5.7) and free throws made (34).

REDHAWKS PICKED EIGHTH IN PRESEASON POLL: Miami was picked eighth in the preseason coaches poll. Ball State finished atop the preseason rankings with 120 points and were followed by Kent State (104), Buffalo (98), Bowling Green (96), Toledo (82), Northern Illinois (64), Ohio (64), Miami (44), Akron (43), Western Michigan (34), Eastern Michigan (23) and Central Michigan (20).