Being ‘who we are’ has RedHawks in first NCAA Tournament since 2008
Experience a plus for coach Glenn Box, making his sixth tournament appearance
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Published
The Miami University Women's Basketball team is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008. RedHawks coach Glenn Box has tournament coaching experience from previous roles.
Being ‘who we are’ has RedHawks in first NCAA Tournament since 2008
Experience a plus for coach Glenn Box, making his sixth tournament appearance
•
Published
Consistency is key.
That’s one of the messages Miami Women’s Basketball Coach Glenn Box delivered to his team this week as the RedHawks enter their first NCAA Tournament since 2008.
And while this group of RedHawks may be new to the Big Dance, Box and his coaching staff are not. This will be his sixth NCAA Tournament – he made five appearances during his time with Indiana University and the University of Akron – and Box is certain his team will be prepared and ready to go for Saturday’s 5 p.m. tipoff against fourth-seeded West Virginia at Hope Coliseum.
“Our practice today is not going to be any different than how it typically is,” Box said. “We have to maintain a high sense of urgency, understanding our purpose, our mission at all times.
“I really believe in them, and I believe that what we do and how we do things set us up for a lot of success. I don’t think we need to be anything but who we are.”
And who the RedHawks are is the winningest team in program history.
Miami is 28-6, and those 28 wins are the most in a single season for the RedHawks. They were also twice crowned champions of the Mid-American Conference this season, winning both the regular-season and tournament titles.
Those efforts earned Miami a 13 seed and a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, to face the Mountaineers, winners of the Big 12 tournament.
No. 5 Kentucky faces No. 12 James Madison at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Morgantown’s first game.
“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said senior guard Amber Scalia. “We’re really excited to be here, and we’re ready to make some noise.”
Along with Box, Miami associate head coach Ben Wierzba and assistant coach Avery Wright also have NCAA Tournament coaching experience.
At Indiana, Box was part of teams that advanced to the Elite Eight (2020-21) and Sweet 16 (2021-2022). This is his third year at Miami, and he was named MAC Coach of the Year last week.
Earlier this week, Miami Athletics announced Box signed a contract extension through 2032.
Box’s previous NCAA Tournament experience is a positive for the RedHawks.
“It’s all about keeping our poise,” junior forward Amber Tretter said. “We’ve been in situations in our season that have helped us be prepared for these moments.
“As a team, I think we have some experience as well, and being an older team will help us.”
The winners of Saturday’s first-round games will play on Monday with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
As the No. 4 seed, West Virginia will have homecourt advantage throughout the first two rounds. But this isn’t an unfamiliar feeling for the RedHawks. Miami spent the season in the driver’s seat of the conference, earning the MAC Tournament’s top seed in Cleveland, and getting the best shot night in and night out from each of their opponents.
“It’s a lot of pressure, and I think we’ve handled it really well,” Scalia said. “We know no one is going to be on our side. … We just know we need to be poised and ready to go.”
The journey has been great so far for the RedHawks, Box said, but it’s a journey that isn’t over yet.
“We feel like we have unfinished business. There’s a lot of basketball still left for us,” Box said. “There’s a lot of food on the table and we certainly want to take advantage of this opportunity.”
That’s one of the messages Miami Women’s Basketball Coach Glenn Box delivered to his team this week as the RedHawks enter their first NCAA Tournament since 2008.
And while this group of RedHawks may be new to the Big Dance, Box and his coaching staff are not. This will be his sixth NCAA Tournament – he made five appearances during his time with Indiana University and the University of Akron – and Box is certain his team will be prepared and ready to go for Saturday’s 5 p.m. tipoff against fourth-seeded West Virginia at Hope Coliseum.
“Our practice today is not going to be any different than how it typically is,” Box said. “We have to maintain a high sense of urgency, understanding our purpose, our mission at all times.
“I really believe in them, and I believe that what we do and how we do things set us up for a lot of success. I don’t think we need to be anything but who we are.”
And who the RedHawks are is the winningest team in program history.
Miami is 28-6, and those 28 wins are the most in a single season for the RedHawks. They were also twice crowned champions of the Mid-American Conference this season, winning both the regular-season and tournament titles.
Those efforts earned Miami a 13 seed and a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia, to face the Mountaineers, winners of the Big 12 tournament.
No. 5 Kentucky faces No. 12 James Madison at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Morgantown’s first game.
“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said senior guard Amber Scalia. “We’re really excited to be here, and we’re ready to make some noise.”
Along with Box, Miami associate head coach Ben Wierzba and assistant coach Avery Wright also have NCAA Tournament coaching experience.
At Indiana, Box was part of teams that advanced to the Elite Eight (2020-21) and Sweet 16 (2021-2022). This is his third year at Miami, and he was named MAC Coach of the Year last week.
Earlier this week, Miami Athletics announced Box signed a contract extension through 2032.
Box’s previous NCAA Tournament experience is a positive for the RedHawks.
“It’s all about keeping our poise,” junior forward Amber Tretter said. “We’ve been in situations in our season that have helped us be prepared for these moments.
“As a team, I think we have some experience as well, and being an older team will help us.”
The winners of Saturday’s first-round games will play on Monday with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line.
As the No. 4 seed, West Virginia will have homecourt advantage throughout the first two rounds. But this isn’t an unfamiliar feeling for the RedHawks. Miami spent the season in the driver’s seat of the conference, earning the MAC Tournament’s top seed in Cleveland, and getting the best shot night in and night out from each of their opponents.
“It’s a lot of pressure, and I think we’ve handled it really well,” Scalia said. “We know no one is going to be on our side. … We just know we need to be poised and ready to go.”
The journey has been great so far for the RedHawks, Box said, but it’s a journey that isn’t over yet.
“We feel like we have unfinished business. There’s a lot of basketball still left for us,” Box said. “There’s a lot of food on the table and we certainly want to take advantage of this opportunity.”
Established in 1809, Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg.