Women's Basketball

Miami Wins 2026 MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Title; Punches Ticket to NCAA Tournament

Story Courtesy of Miami Athletic Communications

CLEVELAND, Ohio– The Miami University women's basketball team scored the first 16 points of the game and led start-to-finish to claim the MAC Tournament championship with a 68-58 win over Toledo Saturday. The top-seeded RedHawks (28-6) got 23 points and 10 rebounds from Amber Tretter to defeat the Rockets (17-15) and earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history. Ilse de Vries added 17 points, while Amber Scalia chipped in 14 and Tamar Singer added 13. Scalia was named the MAC Tournament MVP, with Tretter and Singer joining her on the All-Tournament Team.

How it Happened:

  • The RedHawks held Toledo scoreless for more than seven minutes to open the game, jumping out to a commanding 16-0 lead. Singer scored on the first offensive trip, and inside moves by Scalia and Tretter stretched the lead to six. Scalia hit a pullup and scored in transition to give Miami its first double-digit cushion at 10-0, and de Vries' footwork on the baseline led to a lay-in and a Toledo timeout at 12-0. After Tretter drove and scored, Singer stole the ball and went coast-to-coast to cap the run of 16 consecutive points. Miami led 16-6 after 10 minutes of play
  • Another 10-0 run for Miami doubled the lead to 20 with 6:15 remaining in the half. First, Scalia scored on a Eurostep and Singer used a stop-and-start move to put Miami on top 20-6. de Vries then followed with back-to-back shots from downtown to give Miami its biggest lead of the game at 26-6. Toledo fought back with a 10-2 run to close the period to pull within 28-16 at the break.
  • Leading 28-18 early in the third quarter, Miami produced baskets on three consecutive trips to maintain a double-digit cushion. Tretter drilled a three-pointer from the right wing and de Vries got a shot in close to roll home before Scalia got open curling down the lane for a 35-23 lead. Miami made it 40-27 at the 5:40 mark after Tretter hit a triple in front of the Miami bench and then drove into the Rockets' defense to hit Scalia for a layup. After a tough move in the paint by de Vries made it 42-31, Toledo used a 7-1 run to cut the lead to single digits for the first time. Scalia scored on an isolation move in the lane and Tretter pushed a five-point lead to seven with a pair of foul shots on Miami's final possession of the quarter as the RedHawks led 47-40 heading to the final period.
  • Miami ran its offense through Tretter as the fourth quarter unfolded, and the junior forward responded with a pair of strong right-handed moves at the rim to keep Miami up 51-43 with 7:20 to go. De Vries buried a massive triple from the left wing for a 54-45 lead with 5:30 showing on the clock. Tretter converted two free throws and then Singer made possibly the biggest bucket of the game with a three-point play at the 3:24 mark to make it 59-50. The Rockets never got closer than five points, and the RedHawks went 12-of-14 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to finish off their first MAC Tournament title since 2008.


Up Next:
Miami will play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, with the selection show to air on ESPN at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 15.

2026 MAC Women's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Bree Salenbien, Ball State
Patricia Anumgba, Toledo
Amber Scalia, Miami*
Amber Tretter, Miami
Tamar Singer, Miami

Tournament MVP*