Dominant Defensive Display leads RedHawks to Victory vs. Akron

By: Jack Mueller

(Cover Image: Ilse De Vries puts up a turnaround layup // Photo by: Jack Mueller)

The Miami RedHawks returned to their home floor in style, defeating the Akron Zips 76-54 at Millett Hall on Tuesday night. After a tough loss in Buffalo on Saturday, the victory was a welcome sight for Head Coach Glenn Box and his team. 

“We have to be better in some areas, but overall I was very pleased with our team,” said Box. 

“We should have won that game, and we didn’t.” said freshman Ilse De Vries. “We lost focus and we learned from it.” The first-year forward finished with 14 points, adding six rebounds, six steals and three blocks. 

Miami forced Akron into 29 turnovers, which the RedHawks turned into 24 points on the other end. Guards Enjulina Gonzalez and Tamar Singer combined for seven steals in the backcourt, which, along with De Vries’ six, set the tone on defense for Box’s team. 

Tamar Singer brings the ball up the court for the RedHawks (photo: Jack Mueller)

“Our ball pressure was elite tonight,” said Box “I feel like we have the best ball pressure in the league, so when we’re able to do that…I think that energizes us.”

“We are so good if we play fast,” said De Vries “We should do that more, when we play fast, we get easy buckets.”

The RedHawks are now 8-0 in games in which they score 70 or more points. While their defense was the separating factor in this specific game, their offensive output was equally as impressive. After a game in which his team allowed 16 straight points at the end of the game, that output was also necessary. Four RedHawks finished with more than ten points, with the team shooting exactly 50% from the field. 

Enjulina Gonzalez and Amber Tretter demonstrated why their #1 and #2 in scoring for the RedHawks, combining for 28 points on 60% shooting. Tretter added seven rebounds, with Gonzalez registering three assists and three steals. Maya Chandler also added ten points of her own. 

How it Happened

The visitors started the game better, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes behind four free throws and a layup by Shelbee Brown. Little did anyone at Millett know, that would be the last field goal the Zips would record in close to 20 minutes of action. 

On the other end, Miami’s top scorers started heating up. Gonzalez’s jump shot after three-and-a-half minutes broke a 10+ minute scoring drought for the RedHawks, dating back to their last game against Buffalo. 

From there, they couldn’t stop scoring. Miami rattled off a 28-6 run over the next 12 minutes. All six of those points for the Zips came at the charity stripe. They didn’t make a field goal for most of the first and second quarters. Tretter started the game perfectly from the field, scoring nine points on four shots. Gonzalez and Chandler added 12 more between them, with Tamar Singer, DeVries and Katey Richason getting on the scoresheet as well. 

Alexus Mobley finally broke Akron’s field goal drought after seventeen minutes, but Ilsa De Vries quickly responded with a three to make it 31-14.  She went right back to scoring less than a minute later, adding two more to take her first-half total to seven. Gonzalez’s midranger and another three from De Vries sent Miami to the halftime break with a 37-14 lead. 

The RedHawks outscored the Zips 19-3 in the second quarter. 

Zakia Rasheed got the visitors on the board to start the second half with a three, their first make on nine attempts from beyond the arc. Gonzalez responded with a layup after more than three minutes to register Miami’s first basket of the half. Rasheed connected from beyond the arc again, but a layup by Tretter and a triple by Lakresha Edwards kept the RedHawk lead at 25. 

Two free throws by Gonzalez got Miami to the 50-point mark, and she converted a tough layup through contact to take her total to 13 with 90 seconds to play in the third. Chandler and Gonzalez then made back-to-back mid rangers to give the RedHawks a 26 point lead at the end of the third. 

They kept it rolling in the fourth. Nuria Jurjo found space in the paint for two, and Edwards made her second three to give Miami a 30-point lead within two minutes into the final quarter. The Zips managed to cut the lead to 22, but a three from Emily Bratton, her first in two weeks, extended the lead to 70-45. The freshman guard added five more to put the finishing touches on a dominant win for Miami. 

Up Next

The RedHawks will be hoping to extend their conference win streak to two on Saturday, as Kent State comes to town to take on Miami. The Golden Flashes on a two-game win streak of their own, coming off wins against Western and Central Michigan. A win would be highly beneficial for both teams, as they’re both in a playoff spot, chasing a tournament berth. 




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