It’s always good to pick up a win.
It’s even better when the win snaps a five-game losing streak.
That’s exactly what Miami did Saturday, as it defeated Bowling Green, 80-59. The win marks the first victory for the RedHawks since Jan. 8, when they beat Northern Illinois, 66-64.
“Man, it’s been a long time,” a relieved DeUnna Hendrix, Miami’s head coach, said in a postgame interview with ESPN.
The RedHawks and the Falcons came into the game with identical 8-11 records and were tied for last in the Mid-American Conference East Division.
Miami started strong, making four of its first five shots on the way to a 9-2 run. BG clawed back, going on a 10-2 run to take the lead. The Falcons led, 18-15, after one quarter.
After a BG layup put the Falcons ahead, 26-21, in the second quarter, Miami made its run, scoring 15 straight points to go up, 36-26.
Senior guard Lauren Dickerson led the RedHawks with seven points during the run, including a 3-pointer to bring her team’s lead to double digits. Dickerson was the RedHawks’ second-leading scorer, with 18 points to go along with a team-high nine assists.
Miami went into halftime with a 36-28 lead.
In the second half, Bowling Green came out on fire, making five of its first seven shots to cut the RedHawks’ lead to 43-39. Miami responded with an 11-3 run, including threes from freshman guard Peyton Scott and junior guard Kenzie Schmitz.
Freshman forward Amani Freeman also gave the RedHawks good minutes during the run, replacing Savannah Kluesner after the senior forward picked up her third foul. Freeman played a career-high 14 minutes.
“Amani was great for us,” Hendrix said. “You know, she’s a freshman. It took her the whole first semester to figure things out, but I think she’s gonna have a great career.”
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In the fourth quarter, Miami extended its lead, going up, 75-55, with three and a half minutes left.
Scott iced the game for the RedHawks, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter. She had a tremendous all-around game, leading the team with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from downtown. Scott also had eight rebounds, five assists and two steals.
With the win secured, Miami’s starters were subbed out and got to watch the remaining two and a half minutes of the 80-59 victory from the bench.
“I think we’re getting better each time out,” Hendrix said. “Fortunately, we had a week to prepare for this game, and it felt like our kids came out energized and ready to change the tide.”
Besides Dickerson and Scott, Kluesner (13 points) and redshirt junior forward Abbey Hoff (11) also scored in double digits. Kluesner also added eight rebounds and two blocks.
The RedHawks will be looking to continue their newfound momentum against Western Michigan on Monday. The game starts at 7 p.m. at Millett Hall.
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