Miami women’s basketball takes fourth-straight victory in rematch over Kent State
By: Kethan Babu
(Photos Courtesy of Kent State Athletics)
The Miami University RedHawks women’s basketball team won its fourth-straight game with today’s 64-62 victory over the Kent State University Golden Flashes.
Miami previously fell 77-63 against the Golden Flashes at home on Jan. 25. Today, a dominant third quarter allowed Miami to rise to 7-5 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play.
Despite entering the second half down 32-27, the RedHawks prevented the Golden Flashes from impacting the scoreboard for seven-straight minutes. Miami outscored them 21-8 in the third quarter.
The Golden Flashes mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, and a crucial 3-pointer from sophomore guard Mya Babbitt brought the score to 63-62 with four seconds on the clock. However, Kent State was unable to take the lead, giving Miami its victory.
The RedHawks responded to their mistakes from the first matchup early in the first half. Miami made just three 3-pointers on 18 attempts in the January game. The team outperformed itself with four triples in the first quarter, and the RedHawks shot 7-25 on 3-pointers in total.
Sophomore guard Enjulina Gonzalez and graduate student guard Maya Chandler led Miami with 18 and 17 points respectively. Freshman guard Emily Bratton contributed nine points, her most since MAC play began.
How it Happened
Freshman guard Tamar Singer opened up the scoring with a deep shot. After sophomore forward Janae Tyler evened the score, Chandler sank a pair of 3-pointers to give Miami an early 9-3 lead.
The Golden Flashes responded by scoring 10-straight points while allowing none in return. The RedHawks kept the game close, but Kent State added to its lead through the first quarter, holding a 15-13 advantage after 10 minutes.
Kent State continued its domination in the second quarter, jumping to a 25-19 lead after five minutes. Back-to-back layups from sophomore forward Amber Tretter and Bratton closed Miami’s gap, but the Golden Flashes added six more points before the first buzzer and left for the locker room up 32-27.
At the start of the second half, the Golden Flashes scored eight points to Miami’s five. However, a 3-pointer from senior guard Jenna Batsch would be the final points for Kent State in the third quarter.
The final seven minutes of the quarter were all Miami. Gonzalez added 12 points after a scoreless first half, and a Bratton layup gave Miami the lead 41-40 with just under six minutes left in the quarter.
The RedHawks combined for another 10 points and entered the fourth quarter up 51-40. Kent State brought its deficit down with six unanswered points, but a pair of free throws from freshman forward Ilse de Vries kept Miami up 53-46 with five minutes on the clock.
Two free throws from junior guard Dionna Gray brought the game within one possession 57-54. The RedHawks shot four free throws, but a 3-pointer from senior forward Bridget Dunn brought the score to 61-59 with 23 seconds left.
Gonzalez sank a pair of free throws to give the RedHawks a two-score advantage with 18 seconds on the clock. Following timeouts from both teams, Babbitt sank a triple to give Kent State a fighting chance.
Chandler shot one more free throw, and when Dunn’s halfcourt attempt fell short, the RedHawks took their win 64-62.
Up Next
Today’s win brings the RedHawks to 15-8 (7-5 in conference play) and solidifies a winning record for the season. They remain at fifth in the MAC ahead of the Western Michigan University Broncos.
Miami plays its third consecutive road game on Feb. 19 against the University of Akron Zips. The RedHawks previously outperformed the Zips 76-54 at home.
Following that matchup, the RedHawks will return to Millett Hall on Feb. 22 against the University of Buffalo Bulls, another team that Miami fell to earlier this season.