The victory capped a historic home regular season for the RedHawks, who improved to 25-5 overall and 16-1 in conference play while finishing a perfect 14-0 inside Millett Hall. Ilse de Vries added 18 points with four 3-pointers and Tamar Singer chipped in 11 points and seven assists as Miami controlled the game from start to finish.
Tretter, a junior who has been through the program’s rebuilding years, said the moment represented the culmination of a long journey.
“I knew coming in here we kind of had a new team and a new coaching staff, so it was going to be tough at first,” Tretter said. “The first season we had a lot of losses on our schedule, and I think that really helped us build to where we are at. We got to see other teams go do stuff, and it really put in perspective what we wanted to do as well. Just seeing where we came from to where we are is something really special to be a part of.”
The RedHawks now turn their attention to Saturday’s regular-season finale at Ohio before preparing for the MAC Tournament.
Fast start powers Miami
Miami seized control almost immediately Wednesday night.
The RedHawks held Kent State scoreless for nearly six minutes to begin the game, racing to a 13-0 lead behind early 3-pointers from de Vries, Núria Jurjo and Clara Gonzalez Planella.
Tretter added a layup, Singer drilled a trey and Miami built an 18-4 advantage late in the opening quarter before carrying a 20-6 lead into the second.
Kent State answered with a 12-4 run to trim the deficit to 24-18 midway through the second quarter, but Miami responded.
Singer pushed the tempo and found Macie Taylor for a fast-break layup, then Tretter converted inside before Taylor buried a corner 3-pointer that stretched the lead to 31-20. Miami entered halftime ahead 34-24.
The RedHawks put the game away in the third quarter.
De Vries scored Miami’s first eight points of the period and Tretter followed with a straightaway 3 that pushed the lead to 45-28.
Back-to-back baskets by de Vries extended the margin to 53-35 heading into the fourth quarter before Miami sealed the victory behind additional 3-pointers from Tretter, de Vries and Singer.
The RedHawks finished with 14 three-pointers — the 10th time this season Miami has reached double digits from behind the arc — and Tretter and de Vries combined for nine blocks in a dominant defensive effort.
A season of milestones
Wednesday’s win added to a growing list of accomplishments for Miami’s breakthrough season.
The RedHawks’ 25 victories set a new program record, while their 16 conference wins are the second-most in school history. The undefeated home record also marked the first perfect home season in program history.
Tretter recorded the 29th double-double of her career with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Amber Scalia knocked down the 200th 3-pointer of her career midway through the fourth quarter.
Miami coach Glenn Box said the championship represents both validation and a legacy.
“First and foremost, I want to thank God for putting me in this position,” Box said. “Obviously this has been a tremendous ride and I truly feel favored. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be here and be able to go through this journey with the kids that I have and the staff that I have.”
Box said the moment means even more because of what the team has overcome to reach it.
“The beauty in all of this is we get to leave a banner here,” Box said. “That’s a legacy. You leave and go into that new building and there’s going to be a banner that has our team up there. That’s something nobody can ever take away from this group.”
The RedHawks entered the season picked seventh in the MAC preseason poll — something Box said his team never forgot.
“I found it really disrespectful,” Box said. “I think it was disrespectful to me, our staff and the team we assembled. At the end of the day we’re still picked seventh. We can win a championship all we want — we’re still picked seventh. That’s what people see us as.”
Instead, Miami has used the prediction as fuel.
A connected team with bigger goals
For Tretter and the RedHawks, the championship is only part of what has made the season special.
The team’s depth and balance have been a defining characteristic, with multiple players capable of leading the offense on any given night.
“It’s great to have players that can score every night,” Tretter said. “You can rely on someone else every night. It’s hard to defend that way too. I think that helps everyone else’s confidence as well.”
That collective approach has also fueled a strong bond within the locker room.
“I think we have a lot of people that are just committed to what our goals are,” Tretter said. “We love each other on and off the court, so I think that helps a lot too, having those bonds with each other.”
The atmosphere inside Millett Hall has played a role as well.
“It was nice to see a little bit of the crowd there too,” Tretter said with a smile. “I think there were some frat boys there that were standing up, really loud. Just the support that we get from all of our fans coming out has been really great for us.”
Even after securing the championship, both Tretter and Box emphasized the team’s focus remains on what lies ahead.
“It feels great. This is always your goal, to win a conference championship,” Tretter said. “But we still do have work to go. We’ve got another regular-season game and then going into the tournament. So we still have some work to do and keep grinding out these wins.”
Box echoed the same message.
“This is just part of the journey,” he said. “We’ve checked a box, but we still have Ohio. We want to finish strong and go into the tournament playing our best basketball.”
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