March 5, 2008

OXFORD, Ohio - Behind a raucous crowd at Millett Hall, senior forward Laura Markwood and senior guard Amanda Jackson combined to score Miami's final 20 points of the game as they carried Miami University's women's basketball team to an 82-72 overtime win over Mid-American Conference rival in its final regular season contest. Markwood led Miami (20-10; 12-4 MAC) with a career-high 30 points, while Lauren Kohn led Ohio (17-12; 10-6 MAC) with 24 points. Miami secured a bye in the first round of the Kraft Mid-American Conference Tournament and the RedHawks are the No. 2 East Division seed in the tournament.

Miami opened up hitting five of its first seven shots, three of those buckets came courtesy of senior forward Laura Markwood, and the RedHawks took an 11-6 lead with 15:35 left in the first half. A bucket by Ohio narrowed the RedHawk margin to three points, 13-10, but Miami responded with an 8-0 spurt that was capped off by six consecutive points from sophomore guard Courtney Reed, giving the RedHawks a 21-10 cushion with 12:20 on the clock. Two Ohio treys on book ends of an offensive put back by sophomore forward Chanell Ridley allowed the Bobcats to diminish Miami's margin to six points, 29-23, with 7:50 remaining in the first half. Ohio tied the game at 33-33, and three more ties ensued, with the last occurring with 10 seconds remaining in the half, and the score was tied, 39-39, at the intermission.

Markwood and Reed led Miami with eight points at the half and the RedHawks had all nine players score in the first half. Lauren Kohn led Ohio with 11 points at the break.

Ohio scored eight seconds into the second half to put the Bobcats up two points, 41-39, but the RedHawks responded with a 10-2 run over the next 4:32 to jump ahead, 49-45. All of Miami's points during its run were scored in the paint and six of those points were scored by Markwood. A floater by Simone Redd led the Bobcats on a 10-0 run forcing a RedHawk timeout with 13:04 on the clock. Senior guard Amanda Jackson found Markwood for an easy deuce in transition and after a defensive stop, Reed drove through traffic and banked in a lay-up to tie the game at 53-53, at the 11:26 media timeout. From that point, six lead changes and two ties ensued, but the Bobcats held a five-point lead, 69-64, with 3:08 remaining. Five straight points by Markwood tied the game, 70-70, with 1:16 remaining, before Jackson hung in the air and banked in a jumper to put the RedHawks ahead 72-70, with 1:00 to play. Kohn hit two free throws with 26 seconds left giving Miami the last shot, but a Jackson three-pointer came up just short, forcing overtime.

Markwood scored eight of Miami's 10 points in overtime, while the entire team picked up its defensive play holding Ohio scoreless for the entire overtime. The RedHawks defeated Ohio, 82-72.

Markwood and Jackson combined for 19 points on senior night, while Reed was the other RedHawks in double figures with 14 points. The RedHawks committed a season-low seven turnovers and outscored Ohio 48-18 in the paint.

Miami is the No. 2 East Division seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and the RedHawks will play the winner of the Western Michigan/Akron contest on Tuesday, March 11 at 12:30 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.