2008 Woodie Awards
RedHawks clinch 1st round bye in OT
Jackson and Markwood lead late rally in emotional victory on senior night
Chris Bernardi
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Sports
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This clash between the second- and third-ranked scoring offenses in the MAC lived up to the pre-game hype, running into overtime after a see-saw battle in regulation.
Seniors Amanda Jackson and Laura Markwood displayed veteran leadership, scoring the final 20 points of the game to carry the RedHawks to an 82-72 overtime victory over the Bobcats.
"It's the first time in my career that I understand what the meaning of senior night is," said Miami head coach Maria Fantanarosa. "They dominated. They refused to lose this game. Tonight they took a different step of leadership."
Even with great performances from Markwood and Jackson, the RedHawks found themselves down 64-69 with three minutes to go in regulation. Seeing the game starting to slip away, Fantanarosa called a time out to refocus her team.
Miami came out of the break in a full court press, defending urgently in hopes of a much-needed steal. The clock was winding down and the RedHawks could not longer afford to sit back and wait patiently if they wanted that all important first-round bye.
In a flash, Jackson flew around the backside of a trapped Ohio guard, grabbed the ball and streaked down the court to an easy two-point lay up.
Seconds later she was at it again, forcing another Ohio turnover when her team needed it the most.
Energized by this timely performance, the Red and White surged to tie the game 72-72. The buzzer sounded the end of regulation but it did not halt Miami's momentum as they pitched a 10-0 shutout in overtime on their way to a thrilling victory.
"What better way to end a career at Millett," Jackson said. "Woody gave me energy the whole game watching her go to work on the offensive and defensive end, allowing me to keep doing what I'm doing."
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