SOFTBALL, BASKETBALL

REDHAWKS NOTEBOOK : Friday, 2-21-25

Softball heads to Alabama; B-ball hosts hot KSU team

• Oh wins POTW honor
Miami's Kaylee Oh was named MAC Softball Player of the Week for Week Two
Kaylee Oh, Sophomore, Infield/Outfield, Miami
Murrieta, Calif. (Murrieta Mesa)
Kaylee Oh led the RedHawk offense this weekend in hits (7), RBI (5), total bases (11), and sacs (2). She additionally leads the team so far this season in batting average (.438), hits (14), on base percentage (.471), and slugging percentage (.594). On Friday when Miami defeated App State 9-6 in 11 innings, Oh went 2-for-5 with two RBI. In Miami's 7-0 shutout win on Sunday over Winthrop, Oh went 1-for-2 at the plate, had an RBI and stole two bases. As of Sunday's game, the sophomore is on a three-game hitting streak. On the weekend she went 7-for-15.

• Weekend schedule tweak
The Miami University softball team announced changes to its Rocket City Showcase schedule. All four games will be played at the reconfigured home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas in Madison, Alabama.
 
The RedHawks open on Saturday, Feb. 22 against Auburn University at 1:30 p.m. and meet the University of Mississippi at 4 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 23 the RedHawks will play Mississippi State University at 1:30 p.m. and East Tennessee State University at 4 p.m. Miami will not play any games on Friday, Feb. 21.

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KSU hot, MU not ... Friday??
Miami's men's basketball team faces a big challenge when it hosts Kent State on national TV Friday. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.-- an hour later than typical for Tuesday night games at Millett Hall. With the Love, Honor, Care event promotion, a relatively sizable crowd could be in attendance. 
How big? That remains to be seen. The RedHawks had scored some points with fans by playing winning basketball. Miami won 13 of 14 games before stumbling badly on a two-game road trip to Western and Eastern Michigan last week.

While Miami is 12-1 at home, that success was before the recent losses. Kent State, meanwhile, is one of the hottest teams (not named Akron) in the MAC. The Flashes (18-8, 7-5 MAC) have won five straight, including a 76-76 win over Ohio. That avenged an earlier two-point loss to the 'Cats in Athens. 

KSU is one of two MAC teams with winning records on the road. The Flashes are 7-5 in their travels, while Akron is 6-3. 

The Flashes lead the MAC in scoring defense (66.7 ppg) and are third in scoring margin. (5.4 ppg). Miami is second in scoring margin 7.8 ppg. 
Kent State is also first in opponent field goal percentage (41.4%). 

Kent's State's last outing was a 91-84 triumph at Bowling Green. The Flashes broke a 13-all tie and led the rest of the way. They were up 41-28 at intermission and held off a late Falcons charge for the win. 

Senior guard Jalen Sullinger exploded for 32 points. In addition to hitting 8 of 13 from the field overall, he cashed in on 15 of 15 free throw opportunities. 
Sullinger is averaging 14.3 ppg but has scored at least 23 points in three of his last six outings. 

Senior forward Voncameron Davis (6-5, 229) leads KSU scorers, averaging 15.6 ppg. He had 22 points in Tuesday's win over Bowling Green. 

Junior forward Delrecco Gillespie (6-8, 216) leads the Flashes in rebounding (7.0 ppg). 

Morgan Safford, who was a team captain for Miami back in 2022-23, joined Kent State this season. However, he appears to be out for the year after a December injury. 

Miami won the first meeting with KSU, holding the Flashes to 20 second half points while rallying from a 41-32 halftime deficit for a 70-61 win. 

Kent State connected on just 4 of 29 3-point shots (13.8%) in that contest. Miami out-rebounded the Flashes 34-26. 

Brent Byers led MU with 15 points. Eian Elmer (14) was one of three other RedHawks in double figures. 

FINAL THOUGHTS
•  It isn't a particularly bad matchup, but regardless of opponent, Miami needs to work the boards in EVERY game. At least MU was close at Eastern Michigan (-4) after losing the rebounding battle at Western Michigan 54-26. That included 22 offensive caroms for WMU. 
•  For whatever reason, MU's inside production has trailed off as of late. Forward, Antwone Woolfolk put up one shot in 18 minutes against Eastern Michigan. He had zero free throw opportunities. Reece Potter, a 7-1 center, made 2 of 8 from the field but also did not shoot a free throw. 
• Perimeter success can come and go. Miami was 6 of 26 (23.1%) on threes at EMU. 
• It was good to see Kam Craft back in double figures at Eastern Michigan. Eleven points isn't the 40 he had against Toledo, but its eleven more than he had the next game (Western Michigan).