Here's a more in-depth look at Miami, the Falcons' opponent Thursday, Jan. 19, at Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio ...
OVERVIEW: The RedHawks of coach Maria Fantanarosa enter this contest with a 14-3 overall record and are 4-0 in the Mid-American Conference. Miami and Bowling Green are the only two teams who are unbeaten in MAC play at this point in the season. MU and BG are tied for first in the MAC East, two games in front of third-place Akron. … Statistically, Miami ranks third in the MAC in offense, scoring an average of 69.9 points per game, and are fifth in the 12-team league defensively, allowing 61.7 points per contest. … A few other stats of note for the RedHawks: First, the team is a good shooting squad, ranking second in the MAC in field-goal percentage at 40.8 percent (one of only four teams above 40 percent) and leading the league in free-throw shooting (76.6 percent). Miami has allowed opponents to shoot just 36.4 percent from the field, best in the MAC, and are third in 3-point shooting defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 28.4 percent from behind the arc. Second, Miami does a good job rebounding, outboarding opponents by plus-5.2 rebounds per game (second-best in the league). The RedHawks’ 42.2 rebounds per game also ranks second in the MAC). Considering that MU doesn’t miss many shots, their 14.7 offensive rebounds per game is impressive. Finally, the RedHawks don’t turn the ball over much, making an average of 16.6 turnovers per game (only BG’s 14.4 turnovers per contest is lower).
ALL-TIME SERIES: This is the 69th meeting in the series, and BG holds a 43-25 lead. Bowling Green has won the last five meetings in a row; the last win for the RedHawks came at Millett Hall on March 4, 2009, when Miami won a defensive struggle by a 45-40 score. Last season the Falcons won both meetings by more than 20 points.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: The RedHawks are led by junior G Courtney Osborn, who ranks third in the MAC with her average of 18.4 points per game. Osborn also leads the league in assists with 5.6 assists per game, ranks fifth in free-throw percentage (79.8 percent), third in steals (2.8 spg) and fourth in 3-pointers per game (2.1). Osborn also stands second in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.8 assists for every turnover. … Junior F Kirsten Olowinski is second on the team and 10th in the MAC in scoring at 11.7 points per game. She also ranks leads the league in rebounding with 10.6 boards per game, making her the only MAC player to average a double-double. Olowinski also tops the MAC in field-goal percentage (59.1 percent), ranks eighth in free-throw percentage (74.5 percent) and second in blocked shots (1.5 bpg). … Senior G Maggie Boyer ranks 16th in the MAC in scoring with 10.9 points per game. She also stands fourth in free-throw percentage at 81.8 percent, 13th in 3-point shooting (33.3 percent), and 10th in 3-pointer per game (1.6). … Sophomore G Hannah Robertson ranks 27th in the MAC in scoring with 9.2 points per game game. She also is tied with Olowinski for second on the team with 31 assists. … Senior F Lillian Pitts ranks 12th in the MAC in rebounding with 6.1 rpg. She also averages 4.4 points per game.
BG KEYS TO VICTORY: 1. No freebies. The RedHawks have made nearly as many free throws (281) as their opponents have shot (289). And Miami is a fine free-throw shooting teams, so limiting the fouls (and the free throws) is a must. 2. Contain Olowinski. With all due respect to the RedHawks’ fine guards, stopping Olowinski is a key since she is the team’s main inside scoring threat. It’s also important to limit her rebounding opportunities, especially at the offensive end. 3. Take ‘em and make ‘em. The Falcons are facing one of the best defensive teams in the league, but BG still will get shots. The Falcons need to take advantage of their scoring opportunities to try and match Miami’s scoring – because the RedHawks will get their points.
GAME NOTES: Tipoff is at 7 p.m. … The game will be on the radio at 88.1 FM. … The next home game for the Falcons is against Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 22 starting at 7 p.m.
Click here to read a preview of the contest, featuring comments from coach Curt Miller.
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