This will be the second game of a DH as Miami men face the Bobcats at 1:00. ESPN+. There will be a big crowd, including me. Ohio is having a terrible year 6-20 (4-11) made worse by some key injuries. This is the 103rd game in the series and Miami leads 62-40. Our 38 point blowout win earlier this year in Oxford was the biggest point margin ever in the series.
OU has shown some late improvement as they have won 2 of their last 3 games, but they did lose by 30 at a red hot BG team on Tuesday while we won in OT at Eastern Michigan. Ohio has two scoring threats in Kennedi Watkins at 15.1 and Baily Tabeling at 12.4. One thing we know about this game, Ohio has one thing and one thing only that will give them some satisfaction out of this season and that would be to beat Miami. This will be their biggest game of the season and we will get their best preparation and effort.
Miami is 17-9 ( 9-6) and tied with BG for the 5 seed and one game behind Kent for the 4 seed. We are going to Cleveland for the first time since Megan Duffy left for Marquette. We have won 6 of our last 7 and with 3 more wins could get to the magic number of 20. Our last 2 regular season games will be in Millett next week. Take them one at a time. There are reasons each game could be a struggle.
Amber Tretter has finally stopped getting in foul trouble. She had been trying to take a lot of charges and getting about 50/50 results on who got the foul. So she has stopped doing that and has started getting big minutes and her stats have exploded the last 3 games. 3 straight double doubles and averaging 15 points and 16 rebounds over that span. Enjulina Gonzalez had another 20 point game Tuesday and is now third in the MAC in scoring at 17.2ppg.
As a team Miami is first in the MAC in team defense and first in steals led by Freshman Tamar Singer. Defense has been the calling card of this team and we held Ohio to 38 the last time we played.
Officiating was horrendous. We were 11-13 from the line. OU was 21-26. Four of our free throws were in the final minute when they had to foul. Regardless, we pull it out 62-53.
Winner. And this result officially spoils OU’s senior day ceremony. I know it’s impossible with the doubleheader, but this is why you don’t want to do senior day events AFTER a game.
Enj had 11 points and 8 rebounds. With Amber in foul trouble for most of the game Katey came up big with 9 points and 8 rebounds while playing extended minutes.
5 straight road wins is really impressive. They have all been struggles but we have learned how to win and expect to win now. We have not played against a zone much this year and it led to a slow offensive start. Also, Amber got two really cheap touch fouls early and only played 11 minutes in the first 3 quarters which shattered her chance to keep her double double streak going. OU did a great job of knowing where Enj was at all time and always coming at her with extra defenders once she put the ball on the court and she had a below par shooting game but still found a way to make a big impact wit 11 points and 8 rebounds and a spectacular steal and drive and got and made 2 free throws in a 1 on three situation.
We only had 5 points in the first 8 minutes of the game as the zone slowed us down but Maya and our zone muster Lakesha got going with a bunch of 3’s and finally drove them to a man to man. I think that 13 points was Lakresha’s season high. This game was still close late, we were up only 2 points with 3 minutes to go when Katie had a huge old fashioned 3 pointer and we ourscored them 9-2 down the stretch. Amber played the entire 4th quarter and went 4 for 4 from the line in the final minute. Tamar had an excellent 7 to 4 turnover to assist ratio and scored her only points of the day when she drove the middle and instead of trying her low one handed layup in heavy traffic or trying to force a pass she made the right play for the situation, a jump stop and a short jumper and got a 3 point play. We keep showing signs of growth and figuring things out.
I think Coach Box has done an outstanding job of using his bench and our full roster to manage the game. Girl’s like Cori and Nueria and Lakesha and Katie have been ready when called on and have delivered when needed. Coach Box has been able to have his best lineups ready and rested for the fourth quarter game after game.
Jeesh, don’t say that. I am a 76 year old guy who is passionate about Miami basketball and loves retirement and is absolutely loving this season and what are coaching staffs have done. It has been a long dark winter ( actually many, many winters) and for our basketball program to be in this position and to be positioned to just keep getting better is wonderful. I love everything both staffs are doing. I do like analyzing the games and trying to drum up interest in Miami hoops. Anytime you post on the internet and give your opinions on something, you leave yourself open to criticism. So anyone who posts opinions should be willing to accept that some may not agree with them.
I very seldom pay much attention to the officials. It is what it is. But the MAC basketball officiating has too often been terrible this season. Some horrendous calls, both ways. Some games become damn near unwatchable when they call 45+ fouls in a 40 minute game. And that has happened more often than it should. I hope the conference reviews each game (I think they do) and decides not to bring some of the officials back next season. If so, too bad for them. But they are bringing it up on themselves.
I almost posted following the OU game that this was one of the few games I’ve watched where I would blame bad calls by the refs as partially responsible for our loss. But on top of that, I share your opinion that the MAC refs have called way too many fouls this year.
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