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OXFORD, Ohio – Courtney Osborn scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half as Miami (Ohio) pulled away for a 63-52 win over Northern Kentucky University on Monday night.
Osborn added nine assists and was 12-for-14 from the free–throw line to help the RedHawks (1-1) hold off Division I newcomer NKU (0-2) in Millett Hall. Miami limited NKU to 32.2 percent shooting from the field and finished with a 40-31 edge in rebounding.
With the game tied at 42-all midway through the second half, Miami used a 9-2 run to build a 51-44 lead. Maddie McCallie drained a pair of 3-pointers to key the Miami spurt.
NKU eventually cut the Miami lead to 53-50 on a basket by
Tiara Hopper with 2:16 remaining, but the RedHawks responded by scoring the next nine points – seven by Osborn - to extend their advantage to 62-50.
“We played very hard and did some good things offensively, but Miami made some big shots after we tied it up and you have to give them a lot of credit,” NKU head coach
Dawn Plitzuweit said. “Osborn is a very good player and does so many things for Miami, but I was also proud of the way our kids competed.”
Kayla Thacker netted a career-high 16 points to lead NKU, while teammate
Kaitlyn Gerrety also scored a career-best 13 points. Gerrety collected four steals as the Norse forced Miami into 23 turnovers. Hopper added eight points and four rebounds.
NKU buried five 3-pointers in the first half – including three treys by
Jaimie Hamlet – and trailed 31-28 at the break. Miami committed 13 turnovers during the first half, but the Norse shot just 27.3 percent from the field before the break.
Thacker scored 12 points in the second half to spark NKU. The junior guard, whose previous career high was nine points, also added two steals and a pair of assists.
“We knew we had to contain (Osborn), and we shut her down in the first half. But in the second half she got much better looks," Thacker said. "We just need to learn how to play a full 40 minutes, but we did a nice job overall.”
McCallie finished with 15 points for Miami, which had not played NKU since 1982. The Norse still own a 6-5 lead in the all-time series with the RedHawks.
“We played a very good team on the road tonight. A team that was predicted to win their side of the (Mid-American Conference)," Plitzuweit said. "I thought our kids did a good job of coming out here and competing. We did a much better job on both sides of the floor. We did a better job offensively tonight, and it's something to build on down the road.”
NKU travels to Bowling Green, Ky., on Saturday to meet Western Kentucky. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. (EST) in E.A. Diddle Arena.
