DaytonDailyNews.com

The Miami women's basketball team took another step in the right direction Saturday afternoon, handing the Central Michigan Chippewas a 79-70 loss in front of the ESPNU cameras at Millett Hall.

The victory, which brought the RedHawks to 11-10 overall and 5-3 in the MAC, was facilitated by a strong performance from Amanda Jackson, who tallied 31 points and 11 rebounds, earning the junior guard her second double-double of the season.

Junior forward Jaclyn Leininger (17 points, 6 rebounds) and sophomore guard Ashley Hawkins (16 points) also played well for the RedHawks.

The first half was wide open, consisting of five ties and six lead changes with both teams shooting roughly 35 percent from the floor.

Miami still looked poised to head to the intermission with a 28-25 lead, but a series of RedHawk turnovers allowed Central Michigan to score six points in the final 13 seconds of the half, resulting in a 31-28 Chippewa advantage at the break.

The second half, however, was all Miami, with the RedHawks shooting nearly 50 percent from the field and Jackson scoring 23 of her 31 points.

"Both teams played sloppy in the first half," Miami coach Maria Fantanrosa said. "I think it took until the second half for us to take over our game, and when Amanda Jackson got hot, they were buried."

Miami eventually stretched the lead to as many as 14 despite struggling with turnovers and free throws, a fact which Fantanrosa believes may indicate strength in her squad.

"In games like this when you're not firing on all cylinders and can still win easily, that's a good sign for our future," Fantanrosa said.

The win was Miami's second in a row following a three-game skid, and keeps them tied for third place in the conference.

The RedHawks will have a six-day break before heading to DeKalb, Ill. to face the Northern Illinois Huskies (13-6; 5-3 MAC) on Saturday, Feb. 3.

They will be using their time off to fine tune their skills.

"We're going to go back to the basics; rebounding, closing out and just all the little things that we can control," Jackson said.

NIU will be the fourth in a six-game series against MAC West opponents, and although conference wins are crucial, Fantanrosa is taking things one step at a time.

"(The Central Michigan game) is a small step because we continue to gain confidence," Fantanrosa said. "Each day the improvement is huge and wins are just the frosting on the cake."