Singer Leads Miami Past KSU in MAC Quarterfinals, 65-58

Wednesday, March 11

Cleveland, Ohio

11 a.m.

Miami University

26-6,16-2MAC

Kent State (MAC Quarterfinals)

15-16,9-9MAC

Kent St.

Miami (OH)

Singer Leads Miami Past KSU in MAC Quarterfinals, 65-58

3/11/2026 1:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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CLEVELAND, Ohio– Tamar Singer is known for her playmaking.

After all, the sophomore point guard from Haifa, Israel has already shattered the RedHawks' team record for assists in a season with 228 and counting (53 more than any other Miami player ever).

But on a day that she moved into 11th place in conference history in single-season assists, it was all of the other aspects of the 5-foot-4 floor general's game that stood out.

Singer matched her career high with 25 points in 38 minutes, added seven assists, pulled down five rebounds and spearheaded a textbook defensive effort to lift top-seeded Miami to a 65-58 victory over eighth-seeded Kent State in a MAC Tournament quarterfinal Wednesday morning.

The RedHawks' (26-6) stifling effort on the defensive end of the floor held the Golden Flashes (15-16) to 11 points under their season average —including a 2-of-18 showing in the second quarter— as Miami claimed its first postseason victory since 2019.

Singer scored from everywhere and got to the rim seemingly at will (going 9-of-17 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers to boot) to spark the RedHawks' attack. Her buzzer-beaters with one second left in the first period and third period were especially significant to springboard scoring runs for the Red and White.

However, it was the way Singer played at the other end of the floor that her head coach was proudest of.

"I think the biggest thing that separates her from everyone else is her ability to defend the ball, to initiate our defense," Glenn Box said in the postgame press conference. "Her ability to create havoc is something that most programs (mid-major or high-major) struggle to have, and we have that.

"Sometimes you have to remind her of that…she does so much for us on the defensive side of the ball. Today it was great to see her score the ball because we really needed her to."

"I would say we're a defensive team first…offense comes from defense," Singer commented. "I'm just trying to play my game, [and] the fact I have good shooters around me really helps."

Miami avenged a 68-61 loss to the Golden Flashes in last season's MAC Tournament and defeated KSU for the third time this season. In the March 2025 meeting, Kent State seized control in the second quarter with a decisive 16-0 run. This year at Rocket Arena, the first-half tables were turned.

Trailing 15-13 late in the first period on Wednesday, the RedHawks scored 14 unanswered points to take the lead for good. The Red and White kept the Flashes off the scoreboard for more than six minutes and forced 16 empty possessions in a row for KSU (12 misses, four turnovers). Miami's length especially bothered Kent State as the game continued to unfold, with Ilse de Vries producing four blocked shots and Amber Tretter adding three inside.

"It really does give us momentum: Getting stops on defense gets us in transition and gets our offense going," said Amber Scalia, who contributed 14 points and a team-high seven rebounds.

"When we don't have that going, sometimes we feel a little tense. But when the other team starts to feel that, I think we get the momentum and get going…

"Coming into every single quarter, it's always about defense: Just putting our foot on the gas…[that's] the biggest thing we say after every timeout."

Although the final scoreline might not suggest it, Miami led the contest for more than 38 minutes, capitalizing on its impressive defensive effort in holding KSU to 29.2% shooting (and just 14.3% behind the arc). The result? A trip to the semifinals to face Ohio Friday morning at 10 a.m.

"We're here to win championships," Box said. "We won one [the regular-season title], and our objective is to win both of them…we're here for three one-game winning streaks. That's how we approach it, and we've accomplished one of those. Now we just need two one-game winning streaks…

"We feel like when we play our best basketball, we're the best team…we expect to win."

How it Happened:

Núria Jurjo started things off with a three-pointer on Miami's first possession, and the lead quickly stretched to 7-2 after a pair of Tretter free throws and a Singer layup. Clara Gonzalez Planella muscled a shot up off the backboard to stake Miami to a 13-9 advantage before KSU rattled off six quick points. The RedHawks then closed the quarter with 12 points in a row to take control, beginning with another Gonzalez Planella bucket through contact. Back-to-back three-pointers from de Vries and Scalia put Miami up 21-15, and Singer capped the spurt with a driving lay-in at the buzzer to give Miami a 25-15 cushion.
A Singer left-handed layup in the opening minute of the second period stretched the lead to 27-15. Kent State finally broke through for a three-point play with 6:29 left in the half to end a six-minute scoreless drought and trim the lead to 27-18. Triples from Scalia and Singer pushed the Miami margin to 33-18, while the RedHawks' defense continued to frustrate KSU at the other end. Singer buried another three-pointer with 1:40 to play in the half to put the Red and White up 16, and Miami took a 36-22 lead to the locker room after the Golden Flashes' buzzer-beating attempt rolled around the rim and fell off.
KSU scored the first five points of the second half, but Singer answered back on a drive to make it 38-27. Scalia converted a baseline mid-range jumper and Singer knocked down a pair of free throws to keep Miami on top 42-31 with 3:36 to play in the period. Jurjo pump faked and stepped into a pull-up jumper to give Miami a 45-35 lead with 2:30 remaining in the quarter, but Kent State responded with seven straight points to make it a one-possession game in the final minute. Singer closed the quarter with a drive and finish to give Miami a 47-42 lead after three quarters.
After a three-point play by the Flashes cut the lead to two early in the fourth quarter, Miami roared back with a 13-1 spurt to once again go ahead by double digits. Scalia drained two pairs of free throws —sandwiched around a Tretter offensive rebound and putback— and Singer promptly added a transition layup to put the RedHawks up 55-45. de Vries scored inside and three Miami free throws gave the Red and White its largest lead of the second half at 60-46. Mio Sakano pushed the ball down the floor and finished a layup to maintain the 14-point margin at the three-minute mark. Kent State rallied with a 10-2 run to make things interesting down the stretch, but the RedHawks made enough plays and free throws to close out their 26th victory of the season.

Up Next:
Miami advances to take on fifth-seeded Ohio on Friday, March 13 at 10 a.m. in Cleveland.