Hurricanes to Host Indiana in Big Day For Miami Alumna
Dec. 4, 2008
CORAL GABLES – The University of Miami women’s basketball team will be honoring Edith Bleich, a Hurricane alumna when it faces The Indiana Hoosiers in the second-annual ACC/Big Ten Women’s Basketball Challenge. The opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 5 at the BankUnited Center.
Indiana at MiamiFriday, Dec. 5, 2008 / BankUnited Center / Coral Gables, Fla. / 7 p.m.TV: None Radio: WVUM 90.5 FM Web/Live Stats: www.hurricanesports.com Internet Video: None Internet Audio: www.wvum.org
At 100 years old, Miami Shores resident Edith Bleich still has a passion for women’s basketball and her alma mater, the University of Miami. After finishing the 1925 season on her high school team, Bleich enrolled at the University of Miami and continued her passion for basketball by playing pick-up games with the boys until she graduated in 1939. After meeting Bleich earlier this year, UM Women’s Basketball Coach Katie Meier asked Bleich to join her as a “guest coach” for a game.
The Hurricanes come into Friday’s ACC/Big Ten Challenge against Indiana riding a four-game win streak, their longest since 2006. Overall, Miami holds a 5-2 record and are led by the very versatile freshman, Shenise Johnson. The 2008 McDonald’s High School All-American leads the team in scoring (14.1) and rebounding (8.4) and on Monday, the Henrietta, N.Y. native was selected as the ACC Rookie of the Week.
Johnson has been a pleasant addition to the roster, but Miami is more balanced than a season ago. Senior captain, LaToya Cunningham is leading the ACC with 2.9 three-pointers per game and is the second leading scorer on the team with 12.4 points per contest. Charmaine Clark leads the `Canes with 33 assists so far this season, which is a season-high for the junior.
Miami’s leading scorer the past two games has been sophomore Vitalija Vasciunaite. The long-range threat has tied her career-high best with four three-pointers in each of the last two games and she scored her career-best with 18 points against Florida A&M.
A Look at IndianaThe Hoosiers enter Friday’s game with a 4-2 record and on a three-game win streak with wins over Missouri (63-54), Radford (74-47) and Saint Mary’s (80-63).
Indiana is led by All-American candidate Whitney Thomas who is averaging 11.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Fellow senior Amber Jackson leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game.
The Hoosiers are averaging 69.8 points and 41.5 rebounds per game as a team. IU is shooting 45.3 percent (162-358) from the floor, 27.5 percent (19-69) from beyond the arc and 63.9 percent (76-119) from the free throw line. Indiana has also registered 10.2 steals and 1.8 blocked shots per outing, while holding their opponents to 59.8 points per game and a shooting percentage of 36.5 (124-340).
The SeriesMiami and Indiana have met only one time previously, in 2006 at the UM Thanksgiving Tournament. The Hurricanes won 79-70 behind 28 points from Maurita Reid. Current Miami players, Clark and Cunningham scored six and eight points respectively in that win.
