But Miami didn’t blink.
Amber Tretter scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, and Miami leaned on a connected, composed defensive effort down the stretch to beat Toledo 63-55 at Millett Hall, opening the new year with its second straight league victory.
“The word that we used this week was connected,” Box said. “And I think when teams are connected, they typically have composure. … Even though everything was a little tough and hard, and rigid, our kids didn’t just give up easy baskets defensively. They still competed and made it hard enough to keep us in the game.”
Miami (10-4, 2-0 MAC) entered the afternoon playing some of its best basketball of the season, ranking among the league’s leaders in both efficiency and balance.
The RedHawks came in fifth in the MAC in scoring at 72.2 points per game and second in defense, allowing just 59.9, good for a plus-12.2 scoring margin. They also led the MAC in field-goal percentage (.445) and 3-pointers made, while ranking second in turnover margin.
That balance showed early.
Miami set the tone immediately, forcing Toledo into turnovers and racing to an 18-8 first-quarter lead behind early 3-pointers from Amber Scalia and de Vries. The RedHawks moved the ball crisply, creating clean looks while limiting Toledo’s transition chances.
The Rockets (6-6, 1-1) responded with their best stretch of the day in the second quarter. Kendall Carruthers and Evalyse Cole sparked a 21-point period as Toledo tied the game at 18 and briefly took the lead. Miami absorbed the run and went to halftime clinging to a 30-29 advantage after being outscored 21-12 in the quarter.
Carruthers finished with 12 points and five assists. Cole added 11, while Miriam Diala and Faith Fedd-Robinson scored nine apiece as Toledo stayed within striking distance despite committing 19 turnovers.
“Carruthers is a heck of a player. She puts fear in you,” Box said. “And our kids did a good job on her.”
Miami continued to lean on its depth and perimeter shooting. Nuria Jurjo scored 13 points and knocked down three 3-pointers, staying confident after a quieter offensive stretch earlier in the game.
“She maintained her confidence,” Box said. “We tell our kids that, regardless, you play with energy. … The opportunities were there, and she took advantage of them.”
Tamar Singer added 13 points and seven assists, continuing a strong start to conference play after posting 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in Wednesday’s road win at Kent State. De Vries scored nine, and Miami finished 8 of 17 from beyond the arc after entering the day ranked among the nation’s leaders in made 3s.
The decisive swing came in the fourth quarter, when Miami turned defense into separation. Tretter scored twice inside early in the period, Singer finished a fast-break layup, and Jurjo converted a runout as the RedHawks pushed the lead to nine and then 10.
Toledo twice trimmed the margin to seven late — including a Carruthers 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining — but Miami answered at the line. Singer made two free throws with 26 seconds left to seal it.
The win continued a strong start to conference play for Miami, which opened the MAC season with a 67-63 road victory at Kent State and improved to 5-1 this season when a player scores 20 or more points — a feat already accomplished by four different RedHawks.
Tretter, who entered the season averaging 13.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, continues to anchor the group. She owns 24 career double-doubles and is on pace to become just the second player in program history to reach 1,000 career rebounds. Miami’s scoring balance remains a strength, with four players averaging double figures.
Box said the team’s growth is tied to time — and to an improving understanding of how the group fits together on both ends of the floor.
“I think really just time,” Box said. “The more our kids play together … the better they’re gonna get. … I’m just happy with how hard we play, and our level of intensity defensively, and just not making things easy for people. If we play like that, we’re always gonna be in ball games.”
Box also pointed to the next step as conference play continues — sharper execution offensively as Miami continues to integrate pieces and reintroduce sets.
“Our execution has to improve a lot, though, offensively,” Box said. “That’s gonna improve, too. … I’m happy for our kids.”
The victory snapped a seven-game losing streak against Toledo and marked Miami’s first win over the Rockets since Feb. 17, 2021. It also reinforced the momentum of a season that has already included one of the program’s best nonconference runs in recent memory — and now, a confident start to MAC play.
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