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Sports TwitterCoach finally gets a new net
Sunday, March 16, 2008
CLEVELAND — Following the traditional net-cutting ceremony, Maria Fantanarosa walked into the postgame press conference with the net draped around her neck.
"And I'm keeping it on for a week," she said with a grin.
Extras
The Miami University women's basketball coach had just watched her team win the Mid-American Conference tournament title with a 67-56 triumph over the Ohio Bobcats at Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday, March 15.
It was good that Fantanarosa had the net. It replaced the one she had thrown away.
A couple years ago, Fantanarosa remembered, she walked into a team meeting carrying a piece of a red basketball net.
"I told them I was going to be committed to preparing them to win a championship," the Miami coach said.
Fantanarosa told the players she would place the net in her daily planner and look at it, every day, as a reminder that the RedHawks needed to get better on that particular day. She cut the net with a pair of scissors, and each player took a piece and kept it with them, some on key chains, for the same reason, the same daily reminder.
Before Saturday's game in the team locker room, Fantanarosa pulled out her planner and the old piece of red net. She threw it into a garbage can.
"I said, 'I don't need it anymore. Now is Miami's new time to get a new net.' "
Schone sets records
Miami junior point guard Jenna Schone broke two big single-season Miami records over the past two days.
Against Ohio, she set the record for most 3-point baskets in a season when she nailed a long-range jumper, her second of the game, with 8.4 seconds left in the first half.
The old record was held by Nicki Motto, who nailed 79 baskets from beyond the 3-point arc in 2004-05. Schone hit 4-of-8 from beyond the arc Saturday and now has 82.
The second-team All-MAC selection and native of Pickerington also had broken the single-season assist record the day before, during Miami's 70-66 semifinal victory over Toledo.
Her six assists enabled her to surpass the old record of 168 established by Heather Cusick in 2002.
Schone added two assists Saturday to give her 172 for the season.
Markwood gets close
MU senior forward Laura Markwood grabbed 11 rebounds, leaving her three away from setting the MAC single-season record.
The current record of 353 was set by Angela Drake of Toledo in 1994-95.
Leininger joins in
Miami senior Jaclyn Leininger was unable to play for the RedHawks this season after suffering a knee injury during the offseason, but that didn't stop her from celebrating as a team member and accepting an individual trophy during the postgame ceremonies Saturday.
Leininger was one of Miami's leading post players in 2006-07, averaging 8.7 points and 6.5 rebounds a game. She started 23 of Miami's 30 games.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
