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After losing three consecutive conference games, the women's basketball team won their second straight decision Saturday.
Miami University defeated Central Michigan University 83-78 to improve to 13-9 overall and 5-4 in the MAC.
Trailing the entire first half, the 'Hawks found their stride in the second to edge out the Chippewa's. Led by senior captains Jaclyn Leininger and Jenna Schone, the 'Hawks were able to find their offensive rhythm for the come-from-behind victory.
Leininger, who scored a career-high 24 points on Saturday, dished the credit off to her teammates.
"I felt good out there tonight," Leininger said. "I had a lot of openings in the paint. My teammates did a great job getting me the ball and keeping defenders off of me."
To go along with the 24 points, Leininger added nine rebounds and three steals. The standout performance came as no shock to the team, especially to head coach Maria Fantanarosa.
"Over the past two years Jaclyn has really taken over," head coach Maria Fantanarosa said. "This kind of performance comes as no surprise to us. It's almost starting to become routine."
With Leininger controlling the paint, Schone commanded the point. The senior guard added 16 points and nine assists in her 39 minutes of play.
"It's important to take advantage of playing at home, especially with how competitive the MAC is this year," Schone said. "(They) are a really good team, and this was definitely a big win for us … I feel like we executed well tonight, we really started to get some momentum as the game went on."
Central Michigan, who falls to 13-10 overall and 5-4 in MAC play, could not sustain its strong start. The game proved to be a tale of two halves for the Chippewa's.
After the Chippewas went ahead 28-21, Miami closed to within one on a 9-2 run capped with a Schone three-pointer. In the final minute of play, Briana Dunlap followed an old fashioned three-point conversion by Leininger with a rebound and lay-up to pull the RedHawks to within two at 43-41 at the half.
After taking a two-point lead into the break behind 52 percent shooting, the Chippewas shot only 32 percent in the second half. Their inability to hit timely shots, especially from beyond the arc, proved to be the straw that broke the camel's back.
Stephanie Ford gave Miami its first lead of the second half with a jumper in the paint at the 17:57 mark. Leininger kept up her strong play with a couple of free throws and another jumper to give the RedHawks a 51-50 lead.
Miami turned up the defensive pressure, forcing Central Michigan into several turnovers as it went on a 13-7 run over the next seven minutes that gave it a 63-57 lead with 7:55 remaining.
CMU had the chance to cut the lead to two or even one point in the final three minutes, but Courtney Reed came up with a steal and converted the layup on the other end that helped seal the victory.
After the game, Fantanarosa was all smiles as she is very pleased with the direction her team is headed.
"This was a huge win for our team," Fantanarosa said. "We are really gaining confidence … I cannot state enough the importance of confidence for our squad."
The 'Hawks look to keep their spirits high and build on their winning streak, as they head to DeKalb, Illinois Wednesday to take on the Northern Illinois University Huskies.
"Getting a win always boosts your confidence," Schone said. "I'd like to think that we are on a roll now."
