Ashland University women's basketball game results
SATURDAY, MARCH 12
FRIDAY, MARCH 11
SATURDAY, MARCH 5
FRIDAY, MARCH 4
SATURDAY, FEB. 26
THURSDAY, FEB. 24
Ashland 74, Findlay 68
Playing a second consecutive game against Findlay, the No. 5-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team topped the Oilers in a second straight close matchup 74-68.
The Eagles move to 25-2 overall and 20-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Great Midwest is using a point rating system to determine league tournament seeds since not every team in the conference played all of its games this season, instead of winning percentage, so those seeds will be determined following all games being played on Feb. 26.
"I'm really proud of our team's perseverance," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "I told them I don't quite know how we won…but it took a lot of guts to be able to find a way down the stretch. We knocked down some big free throws, and we needed to."
Findlay is 13-14, 11-10.
This was the second consecutive day Ashland and Findlay played each other, as the Eagles topped the Oilers 67-60 on Wednesday at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
The defense which showed out in the first quarters of Wednesday's game did so again at the start of Thursday's game, as Ashland kept Findlay off the scoreboard for the first 7:14 of the game. In the meantime, the Eagles ran off the game's first 15 points, and each of their first six field goals were assisted.
Findlay outscored Ashland 9-2 for the remainder of the opening quarter, leaving the AU lead at 17-9.
The Oilers cut their deficit to 20-16 early in the second quarter, which forced an Ashland timeout. Findlay made it a 20-18 game, but back-to-back 3-pointers from senior guard Erin Daniels and sophomore guard Sydney Jacobsen pushed the AU lead back to eight points at 26-18.
Ashland continued to keep Findlay at arm's length, and at halftime, it was a 35-26 advantage. The Eagles scored 15 points off the Oilers' 15 turnovers in the first half and assisted on 12 of their 13 made field goals, while Daniels made all four of her 3-point attempts in the game's first 20 minutes.
At the third-quarter media timeout, the Eagles lead had been trimmed to five points at 42-37. It was a 45-43 score before Ashland finished the quarter on a 7-1 run to go into the fourth up 52-44.
Both teams traded points to start the final quarter, with the Eagles going back and forth between a six- and eight-point lead. Findlay worked its deficit down to 56-52, but freshman guard Morgan Yoder's 3-pointer pushed the AU lead to seven.
Findlay kept coming, as it did on Wednesday, and the distance between the two teams was just three points at 59-56 halfway through the fourth. The Eagles kept pushing back, as a layup by senior forward Karlee Pireu made it a five-point game, then a jump shot from senior guard Hallie Heidemann made the score 63-56.
Following three Oilers free throws and a putback, Ashland's lead was down to two points at 63-61 heading into the final minute. Heidemann, however, put a dagger in with a 3 to once again push the lead back to five points.
An Oilers layup made it 66-63, and the Eagles needed one more basket or free throw for a two-possession lead with 35 seconds left. Junior forward Annie Roshak's two free throws accomplished that.
Findlay still kept coming, and a 3-pointer with 30 seconds to go kept the Oilers' hopes alive at 68-66. Pireu stepped to the line and made both to make it 70-66, then Roshak finished the victory off with four more freebies.
Both Heidemann and Daniels scored 16 points, Daniels doing so in 24 minutes off the bench.
"It takes us back to last year, how we had to get our minds and bodies right," Daniels said of playing the same team on back-to-back days. "Findlay's a really good team, and we had to come out and do what we needed to do to get the win. I wasn't thinking and I was just shooting. When I'm just playing the game, things go well."
Pireu scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Senior forward Kayla Sanders came in for six minutes in the second half and gave the Eagles key minutes off the bench.
"I'm really proud of Kayla," Pickens said. "We put her in there, and our team went on a bit of a run when she was on the court. I'm thankful that we have that depth."
Ashland made 15 of 16 from the free-throw line and scored 23 points off 19 Oilers turnovers.
Ashland will conclude the regular season at 1 p.m. Feb. 26 against Hillsdale (13-13, 10-10) on senior day at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
"I felt like it was a tournament today," Pickens said of playing back-to-back days and the second game of three in four days. "My hope is that it has prepared us for what we need to do come tournament time."
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 23
Ashland 67, Findlay 60
Ashland University's women's basketball team is used to milestones.
On Wednesday night at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, there was another milestone, as, thanks to the No. 5-ranked Eagles' 67-60 win over Findlay, coach Kari Pickens earned her 100th career win in just her 114th game overall.
"That is a testament to the hard work that my players and staff have put in. I think we all know I get to work with some of the best of the best," said Pickens of her coaching staff – associate head coach Stephanie Gehlhausen, graduate assistant Jodi Johnson and volunteer assistant Maddie Dackin. "I have players who work their tails off, and it wouldn't be possible without all of them. I am thankful to be a part of this program."
Ashland improves to 24-2 overall and 19-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while the Oilers are 13-13, 11-9. The Eagles are looking to finish off a Great Midwest regular-season title and the right to play host to the Great Midwest Tournament Final Four on March 4-5.
Ashland found its long-range shooting touch right away, taking a 9-0 lead and forcing an Oilers timeout following 3-pointers from senior guard Hallie Heidemann (two) and sophomore guard Macy Spielman. Findlay, however, countered with eight straight points.
Inside of the two-minute mark of the opening quarter, the Oilers went up 14-13. Not long after, sophomore guard Sydney Jacobsen hit a 3 to put the Eagles back on top, then a driving layup by Spielman helped AU take an 18-16 lead into the second quarter.
Ashland turned the ball over seven times in the first 10 minutes but only three in the second 10. Thanks to a defensive effort which kept Findlay off the board for almost 4½ minutes, the Eagles took a 32-24 lead into the break.
Findlay missed seven of its last eight shots from the floor in the first half and hit 29.0% overall.
Ashland's largest lead to that point was 42-26 just inside of the six-minute mark of the third quarter, but the Eagles' lead at the end of the third was almost as big at 52-37. AU, which came into the game as the No. 2-shooting team in the country at 48.8%, made 51.2% through the first 30 minutes.
"I thought the first three quarters, we put together a really strong basketball game," Pickens said.
With 5:53 to play, a back-door layup cut the Oilers deficit to single digits at 58-49. A 3-pointer with 5:19 left forced an Eagles timeout, as the AU advantage had been trimmed to 58-52 thanks to an 8-0 Oilers run.
Junior forward Annie Roshak had the answer coming out of the stoppage, hitting a straight-on 3-pointer to make the lead nine points. Findlay, however, wasn't going away, and cut the gap to five points at 61-56 inside of the three-minute mark, then to 61-58 on the next possession.
With 1:26 left, senior forward Karlee Pireu made a last-ditch shot as the shot clock was hitting zero, then grabbed the defensive rebound on the other end. Then, with 37.2 ticks left, Pireu made two free throws for a 66-60 lead, as the Eagles went on to victory from there.
"That fourth quarter, obviously, was not what we needed to do to finish down the stretch," Pickens said.
Roshak ended with a game-high 20 points, and, in the process moved into 15th place on AU's all-time scoring list with 1,244 career points.
Spielman followed with 16 points, and Pireu rounded out three Eagles in double-digit scoring with 13 points to go with nine rebounds and three steals.
Jacobsen set a new career-high in assists with eight in the victory.
"She did a great job running the show out there and making some really, really strong passes," said Pickens.
Ashland made 46.3% from the field and outrebounded the Oilers by a 38-29 margin.
Ashland is 17-0 all-time as the No. 5 team in the nation.
Ashland and Findlay will turn around and play each other again at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 24 in Findlay.
"A basketball game is a basketball game," Pickens said. "They're going to make adjustments. We're going to make adjustments, whether that is one day apart or one month apart. We need to find a way to get that big win on the road."
SATURDAY, FEB. 19
Ashland 83, Malone 55
CANTON — On Saturday afternoon, the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team returned to form in an 83-55 victory over Malone.
The Eagles, coming off an 83-76 overtime home loss to Walsh on Thursday night, improve to 23-2 overall and 18-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Pioneers are 12-11, 8-9.
"It was a complete basketball game," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "I was really proud of our team. Every single person who stepped on to the court was ready for their opportunity and capitalized on it.
"I thought we took a step forward today."
Ashland continues to lead the Great Midwest by a half-game over Walsh entering the final week of the regular season.
The Eagles have won seven straight meetings with Malone.
It didn't take long for senior forward Karlee Pireu to get into the action, scoring AU's first seven points in the game's first two minutes. The Eagles had a 7-4 lead halfway through the first quarter, but the Pioneers went up 10-9 on a 3-pointer.
After the first 10 minutes, Ashland led 23-15 following a last-second 30-foot 3-pointer from junior forward Annie Roshak. Roshak and Pireu each had seven points in the opening quarter, while senior guard Hallie Heidemann collected four points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Ashland had a 31-21 advantage halfway through the second quarter, as the Eagles forced four Malone turnovers in the first five minutes. A late 8-0 run helped AU go into the locker room ahead by a 41-25 lead.
In the opening half, the Eagles took advantage of 10 Pioneers turnovers, scoring 13 points. Freshman forward Hayley Smith came off the bench and nearly had a double-double (eight points, seven rebounds).
Ashland left no doubt of the outcome to start the third quarter, outscoring Malone 16-8 to start and make the lead 24 points at 57-33. The Eagles led 67-43 after three and went on to victory from there.
Pireu posted her third consecutive 20-plus-point game, ending with a game-high 20 on 8-of-12 shooting from the field. She also had five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
Roshak followed with 18 points, also on 8 of 12 from the floor, and five rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore guard Macy Spielman and Smith each added 10 points, as Ashland finished with four players in double-digit scoring.
"They finished strong inside," Pickens said. "It was really good team basketball."
Ashland shot 47.4% from the field, had 23 assists to just seven turnovers, and had a 41-31 rebounding advantage.
"We took care of the ball, (and) we took high-percentage shots," Pickens said. "We were able to put together a really good basketball game."
The Eagles also forced 19 turnovers, turning them into 23 points.
THURSDAY, FEB. 17
SATURDAY, FEB. 12
Ashland 76, Kentucky Wesleyan 71
Senior forward Karlee Pireu scored 29 points, including 20 in the second half, to lead the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team to a 76-71 come-from-behind win at Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.
The victory extends the Eagles' winning streak to 19 games and improves AU's record to 22-1 overall and 17-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Panthers are 14-9, 11-6.
Down 6-3 early, the Eagles worked it to a 15-15 tie before the Panthers took a 16-15 lead into the second quarter.
Ashland started the second quarter with an 8-2 spurt to go on top 23-18, but Kentucky Wesleyan countered with eight consecutive points to regain the lead. At the half, the game was knotted at 36.
In the first 20 minutes, Ashland made 50.0% from the field in a half in which there were 11 ties and eight lead changes.
Kentucky Wesleyan took charge of the early part of the third quarter, leading 49-41 with six minutes left in the quarter. Following a timeout, it was Ashland's turn to return serve, going on a 15-4 run to take a 56-53 lead into the final quarter.
Heading into the fourth, Pireu had 23 points – including eight in the last three minutes of the third.
Ashland kept its momentum going into the fourth, leading 67-59 four-plus minutes in, forcing a Panthers timeout. The Eagles' biggest lead was 11 points at 70-59 en route to the victory.
Pireu was 11 of 17 from the floor and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line and added six rebounds. Junior forward Annie Roshak also scored in double digits, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Ashland made 49.0% from the floor in the win and was 18 of 24 from the free-throw line, including 12 of 13 in the second half.
The Eagles forced 14 Panther turnovers, resulting in 17 AU points.
The first set of NCAA Division II regional rankings will be revealed on Feb. 16. Ashland's next game will be a return to the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium on at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 17 against Walsh (21-3, 16-2), winner of 13 games in a row.
THURSDAY, FEB. 10
Ashland 86, Trevecca Nazarene 41
Starting its longest Great Midwest Athletic Conference road trip on Thursday night at Trevecca Nazarene, the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team routed the Trojans for the second time this season 86-41.
Ashland's 18-game winning streak moves it to 21-1 overall and 16-0 in the Great Midwest. Trevecca is 4-17, 3-12.
On Jan. 31 at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles reached triple figures in a 106-55 victory over the Trojans.
Thursday night's game marked the fourth time in the last six outings that Ashland has scored at least 85 points.
Trevecca called a timeout just 79 seconds in, as Ashland scored the game's first seven points. The Eagles eventually extended their game-starting scoring streak to 18-0, and by the end of the first quarter, AU's lead was 22-6.
In the first 10 minutes, the Eagles made 10 of 16 from the field while forcing a dozen turnovers.
Ashland continued to play strong defense in the second quarter, and by halftime, the Eagles' advantage was 36-19. The Trojans turned the ball over 20 times in the first half, with AU turning those into 18 points.
Sophomore guard Macy Spielman had 14 points in 14 first-half minutes, as eight different Eagles dented the scoring column.
Junior forward Annie Roshak came out of the locker room on fire, scoring 10 points in the first 4:12 of the third quarter. That helped the Eagles continue to extend their lead – to 48-23 halfway through the third, then 63-27 at the end of the quarter.
Roshak ended with a game-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Spielman finished with 18 points on 8 of 10 from the floor.
With nine points on Thursday, senior forward Karlee Pireu (1,482 career points) moved into eighth place on AU's all-time scoring list.
Ashland did nothing to hurt its No. 2-in-the-country field-goal percentage. Coming into the game at 48.8%, the Eagles finished Thursday night at 54.0%.
For the second time this season, AU forced a season-high 35 turnovers against the Trojans, resulting in 38 points.
Ashland will finish its road trip at 1 p.m. Feb. 12 at Kentucky Wesleyan (14-8, 11-5).
SATURDAY, FEB. 5
Ashland 68, Tiffin 59 (OT)
It's been a long time since Ashland University women's basketball fans saw what they saw Saturday afternoon at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
The No. 2-ranked Eagles won a 68-59 overtime decision over Tiffin on Saturday to improve to 20-1 overall and 15-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and extend their winning streak to 17 games. That win also marked AU's first home OT victory since the 2008-09 season.
"It was a hard-fought win," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "Tiffin is a really good team. I was really proud of the girls to find a way to win down the stretch.
"The one thing that I thought we needed to clean up was our defensive rebounding. Otherwise, I thought we played a really, really good game."
The Dragons are 9-10, 6-7 after an 11th consecutive loss to AU.
Tiffin scored the game's first four points and led 7-2 in the early going. A low-scoring first quarter saw the Dragons lead 13-10, as the Eagles made just 4 of 15 from the field and missed on all eight 3-point attempts.
Once again, Tiffin scored the first four points of the second quarter to go up 17-10, then led 20-12 before the Eagles made their first 3-pointer of the game, courtesy of senior guard Hallie Heidemann. That started an 11-2 run to knot the score at 23-23.
By halftime, the Dragons' lead had been cut to one point at 28-27. Ashland's shooting touch came back in the second quarter, making 7 of 11 from the field and 3 of 7 from downtown. In the first 20 minutes, AU turned six Tiffin turnovers into 10 points.
To start the third quarter, Tiffin did it again – scoring the first four points. Heidemann made two 3-pointers early in the third to get the game back to a point at 34-33, then senior forward Karlee Pireu, who set a new program standard for games played with 139 on Saturday, tied the game at 34 by making 1 of 2 at the free-throw line.
Outside of the five-minute mark, Heidemann's fifth 3-pointer put Ashland ahead for the first time at 37-34. By the time the Eagles led 41-34, the AU run was 11-0.
At the end of the third, Ashland led 45-38, thanks in large part to keeping the Dragons to 4-of-12 shooting in the period.
Tiffin cut its fourth-quarter deficit down to three points at 47-44, but junior forward Annie Roshak got momentum back with a floating jumper in the lane. Freshman guard Morgan Yoder's driving layup put AU back up by seven at 51-44.
The Dragons did not go away, though, getting the game back to three points at 51-48, but Pireu's fast-break layup inside of 90 seconds to go got the lead back to five points.
Two Tiffin free throws made it a three-point game again at 53-50 heading into the final minute of regulation, then an Eagles turnover with 38.5 seconds left put the ball back in the Dragons' hands. A Tiffin 3-pointer tied the game with 27.7 seconds left, then three consecutive Dragon fouls set up the last possession with 16.4 ticks to go. The last shot was missed, setting up overtime.
In the extra period, Roshak's 3-pointer put Ashland back on top at 56-55, and Heidemann's jumper made it a 58-55 game. Sophomore guard Macy Spielman made a layup to lift the Eagles to a five-point lead at 60-55, then Pireu's layup finally put the nail in Tiffin's coffin.
Heidemann paced AU's offense with 19 points, hitting 5 of 10 from beyond the arc and adding five rebounds, three assists and five steals.
"This team is so deep, and we're all capable of kick-starting it, honestly," said Heidemann. "I personally let the game come to me and take the shots that are in rhythm."
"Hallie came up huge and hit some big ones for us," Pickens said.
Pireu was next with 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. She was 5 of 6 from the field and 7 of 8 from the line.
"We have a really deep team, and we have great guards and great posts," Pireu said. "It's within the flow of our offense (the assists)."
Roshak rounded out three Eagles in double-digit scoring with 13 points, to go with a team-high seven rebounds.
Of having to go to OT to win at home, Pireu said, "It's a great learning opportunity for us. We know that we're going to get everybody's best game this year, and I think we got that from Tiffin today. It definitely felt like a tournament-like atmosphere, and that's exciting."
Ashland kept Tiffin to 30.3% shooting from the floor while scoring 20 points off 13 Dragons turnovers.
Ashland's 20th win of the season gives the program 13 such campaigns, along with 1975-76, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2011-12, 2012-13, and 2014-15 to 2019-20.
The victory also was the Eagles' 250th all-time as a ranked team (250-16, .940).
Ashland goes back on the road to take on Trevecca Nazarene (3-16, 2-11) at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 10.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2
MONDAY, JAN. 31
Ashland 106, Trevecca Nazarene 55
In the first meeting between the two women's basketball programs, No. 2-ranked Ashland defeated Trevecca Nazarene 106-55 Monday afternoon at Kates Gymnasium.
The Eagles earned their 15th consecutive victory and improved to 18-1 overall and 13-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Trojans fell to 3-14, 2-9.
"I thought that, for a majority of the game, our team played to the standards that we want to play to," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "We played really together and with a lot of freedom, and that, in my opinion, was the most exciting thing of the day."
It was the first time Ashland scored at least 100 points in a Great Midwest game and the first time in any game since posting 105 against Ferris State on Jan. 30, 2020.
Ashland scored the game's first 10 points, and out of the first-quarter media timeout, the advantage was 19-4. The first 10 minutes ended with the Eagles leading 27-12, with sophomore guard Macy Spielman scoring 10 points, and with the Trojans turning the ball over nine times.
By halftime, not much had changed, but Ashland led 51-30 after closing the first half with an 11-3 run. The Trojans made 56% from the field in the first 20 minutes, but that was negated by 18 turnovers, which led to 15 Eagles points.
Ashland scored the first 15 points of the third quarter, raising its lead to 36 at 66-30. The Eagles outscored the Trojans 36-17 during the quarter and went into the fourth leading 87-47.
The only drama in the fourth quarter was if the Eagles would get to triple figures, and it happened on a 3-pointer from junior guard Sophia Fortner outside of the four-minute mark.
For the second time in three games, six Eagles scored in double figures. Spielman ended the game with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line, followed by senior forward Karlee Pireu and junior forward Annie Roshak with 14 points each, senior guard Hallie Heidemann and freshman forward Hayley Smith with 13 each and freshman point guard Morgan Yoder with 10.
"We have a really deep team, and when we play unselfishly, that's the kind of basketball that should be happening," Pickens said. "It was good to see today."
Said Heidemann, "It definitely helps when you're getting back out there to see the ball go in the hoop. It helps build that confidence back up."
Added Yoder, who had her third double-digit scoring game off the bench this month, "(It's) just the continual confidence, and the confidence that my teammates and coaches put into me, that's been a big thing."
Pireu played in her 137th career game on Monday, one behind both Andi Daugherty and Laina Snyder for most in program history.
Ashland, the No. 2 team in NCAA Division II in field-goal percentage entering the game (48.6), shot 50.7% from the field, 47.8% from beyond the arc and 79.3% from the free-throw line against the Trojans.
Trevecca Nazarene made just 25.0% from the field in the second half. The Eagles forced 30 Trojans turnovers and outrebounded Trevecca Nazarene 39-29.
Ashland will stay at home for another Great Midwest game at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 2 versus Ursuline (8-11, 5-9) — a team the Eagles beat 74-57 on the road on Jan. 29.
Nine games are scheduled for February following a very-much-shuffled January.
"It's huge for us to consistently play together," Yoder said.
Heidemann said, "I'm excited. This team is a lot of fun, and we still have potential left to reach, and that's really exciting."
SATURDAY, JAN. 29
Ashland 74, Ursuline 57
It was steady as it goes for the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team Saturday afternoon, as the Eagles earned their 14th consecutive victory, 74-57, at Ursuline.
Thanks to that win, Ashland improved to 17-1 overall and 12-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while the Arrows fell to 8-11, 5-9.
"I was really proud of just our team in general," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens, now 80 games over .500 in her head coaching career (93-13). "We had a lot of people step up. I'm excited to continue to figure this team out. We have a lot of depth, and we're still trying to figure out how it all works together. We're taking steps forward in that."
Ursuline led 5-4 early, then Ashland finished the first quarter on a 11-2 run to lead 15-7 after the first 10 minutes. The Eagles had a 16-7 rebounding advantage in the first quarter, and junior forward Annie Roshak (seven) and sophomore forward Macy Spielman (six) combined for 13 of the 15 AU points.
A 5-0 Arrow spurt cut the Eagles lead to 26-22 late in the first half, then senior forward Karlee Pireu's 3-pointer put an end to that. That also helped Ashland take a 35-26 lead into halftime, as the Eagles hit 50.0% from the field at the break and kept Ursuline to 2 of 11 from beyond the arc.
In the third quarter, Ashland kept Ursuline at arm's length, outscoring the Arrows 22-19 to take a 60-45 lead into the final period. Spielman scored the last five points of the quarter to get the lead to 15 heading into the fourth.
Ursuline made it a 12-point game at 64-52, but the Eagles ended the game on a 10-5 run to close it out.
Ashland received the biggest games from Roshak (25 points, eight rebounds, two blocks), Pireu (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Spielman (17 points).
The Eagles shot 48.4% from the field while boasting a wide 44-23 rebounding margin. They also limited the Arrows to 38.6% from the field and 26.1% from beyond the arc.
"We knew that (the rebounding) was going to be a big part coming into today's game, and I think we capitalized on that," Pickens said.
Ashland will return to the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium at 2 p.m. Jan. 31 to take on Trevecca Nazarene (3-13, 2-8).
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 26
Ashland 94, Lake Erie 64
On Wednesday night at Lake Erie, the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team defeated the Storm 94-64 to run its winning streak to 13 games.
The Eagles are 16-1 overall and 11-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while Lake Erie is 1-19, 0-14 following its 17th defeat in a row. Ashland remains in first place in the league, two full games ahead of second-place Walsh.
The Eagles scored a season high in points on Wednesday night and their most in a single game since March 7, 2020 versus Parkside (95).
At the first-quarter media timeout with 4:57 to go, Ashland led by a 6-0 count. A fast-break layup by junior forward Annie Roshak put the Eagles ahead 17-10 after the first quarter. Lake Erie turned the ball over eight times in the first 10 minutes.
By the second-quarter media stoppage, Ashland had moved out to a 31-18 lead. Going into the locker room at halftime, the Eagles were up 45-25 and turned 15 Storm turnovers into 14 points.
In the first 20 minutes, three AU players scored in double figures — senior forward Karlee Pireu (13 points), sophomore guard Macy Spielman (11) and Roshak (10).
The third quarter saw the Eagles extend their advantage to 26 points at 60-34, and they went into the final quarter up 20 at 66-46.
Pireu scored a game-high 20 points, and, with 1,415 in her career, passed her coach, Kari Pickens, into ninth place on AU's all-time scoring list. Pireu also added a game-high nine rebounds in the victory.
Spielman finished with 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 7 of 7 from the free-throw line. Roshak had 16 points, and with 1,093 in her career, moved into 22nd place on the Eagles' all-time list.
Freshman forward Hayley Smith (13 points), freshman guard Morgan Yoder (10) and senior guard Erin Daniels (10) rounded out six Eagles in double-digit scoring.
Ashland, the No. 2 team in NCAA Division II in field-goal percentage (48.4) coming into the game, did nothing to hurt that standard, making 51.6% against the Storm. The Eagles also were 26 of 34 from the free-throw line and turned the ball over just seven times.
Defensively, AU forced 27 turnovers and turned that into 27 points.
Ashland will stay on the road for another Great Midwest game at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at Ursuline (8-10, 5-8).
MONDAY, JAN. 24
THURSDAY, JAN. 20
Ashland 72, Ohio Dominican 53
Playing with only nine players dressed on Thursday night, the No. 5-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team pulled away in the second half for a 72-53 victory over Ohio Dominican at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
The Eagles, thanks to their 11th consecutive win, improve to 14-1 overall and 9-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Panthers are 3-14, 3-8.
"I thought we put together a really, really strong second half," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens, now 90-13 guiding the Eagles. "I love that we won every quarter, as well. It's a testament to the depth that this team has, and I couldn't be more proud of our players."
Ashland is 170-8 all-time as a top-five team in the nation and is 15-0 all-time playing as the No. 5 team in the country.
Ohio Dominican scored the game's first two points – followed by nine straight points for the Eagles. The low-scoring first quarter ended with Ashland leading 13-10, thanks to a defensive effort which kept ODU to 4 of 13 from the floor.
A 7-2 spurt to start the second quarter put Ashland ahead 20-12, then the scoring pace picked up on both sides. By halftime, the Eagles led 30-25, and the offense was buoyed by sophomore guard Macy Spielman (12 points) and senior guard Erin Daniels (10).
Ashland pulled away to start the second half, but ODU wouldn't go away. At the third-quarter media stoppage, the Eagles led 41-34, and Daniels and Spielman kept leading the offense with 15 points each.
At the end of the third quarter, Ashland had its largest lead to that point at 55-39, and Daniels (career high) and Spielman each had 19 points. The Eagles kept the Panthers to 4 of 14 from the field in the third period.
Ashland's biggest lead came in the fourth quarter, a 21-point advantage at 67-46.
Both Spielman (23 points) and Daniels (22) posted career highs – Spielman doing so for the second game in a row. Spielman was 9 of 12 from the field, Daniels 8 of 16.
"This year, it's such a special year," Daniels said. "The girls on this team make it that way. They make me want to play confident. It's senior year. Might as well go out with a bang."
"I can't give her (Daniels) enough credit," Pickens said. "She kept getting better and kept improving. She was one of the best players on the court, from start to finish."
Both freshman forward Hayley Smith (15 points, 11 rebounds) and senior forward Karlee Pireu (10 points, 14 rebounds) recorded double-double in the victory.
Said Smith, "We faced different adversities. It's how we respond, and I think our whole team responded well today."
"For Hayley, what a second half," said Pickens. "There was something that triggered in her heart and her mind that, in the second half, she was fearless and played free and confident."
The Eagles had a decided 41-22 rebounding advantage and made all nine attempts from the free-throw line. AU also had 20 second-chance points, and the Panthers had none.
"I love that (rebounding) number," Pickens said. "It was a total team effort. We knew rebounding was going to be really, really important today."
Ashland improves to 19-0 all-time vs. Ohio Dominican.
Ashland will continue its stretch of home games at 1 p.m. Saturday against Cedarville (11-5, 6-4).
THURSDAY, JAN. 13
Ashland 80, Hillsdale 55
The No. 7-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team recorded a substantial road victory on Thursday night – then, unfortunately, found out it will be its only game of the week.
On Thursday night, the Eagles extended their winning streak to 10 games following a 80-55 victory at Hillsdale. Ashland is 13-1 overall and a Great Midwest Athletic Conference-leading 8-0, while the Chargers are 8-6, 6-3.
Ashland will play just one game this week, as its home game at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium versus Findlay, scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols. No makeup date and time has been determined.
Each of the first five Eagle baskets of Thursday's game were assisted, three by junior guard Sophia Fortner, as AU took an early 13-8 lead. The Eagles pulled away, and after the first 10 minutes, led 22-12, thanks to seven assists on eight made baskets, and the Chargers making just 5 of 16 from the field.
At the second-quarter media timeout, Ashland led 35-22, and both the field-goal percentage (58.3) and assists (11) stayed high. By halftime, the Eagles had run out to a 48-28 advantage, and sophomore guard Macy Spielman already had scored a career-high 20 points.
Ashland made nearly 60% from the field in the first 20 minutes (59.4) and had 15 assists to five turnovers. Conversely, Hillsdale made just 37.5% from the field in the first half.
The Eagles continued to keep the Chargers at arm's length throughout the second half, moving their winning streak to double figures.
Thursday night saw several Eagle career bests, led by Spielman's 22 points and seven rebounds. Junior forward Annie Roshak grabbed a college-high 14 rebounds and added 18 points, while sophomore guard Sydney Jacobsen added 13 points and freshman guard Morgan Yoder posted a career-high 11 points off the bench.
Roshak now has 1,063 career points, moving into 24th place on AU's all-time list.
Fortner, in her first start of the season, tied a career high with six assists, as the Eagles had a season-high-tying 25 helpers as a team.
The Eagles had a 40-29 rebounding advantage in the victory and kept the Chargers to 36.7% from the field and 27.8% from 3-point range.
Ashland has won eight in a row and 12 of the last 13 against Hillsdale.
With the postponement of the Findlay game, the Eagles' next game is at home at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 20 versus Ohio Dominican (3-12, 3-6).
SATURDAY, JAN. 8
Ashland 74, Kentucky Wesleyan 66
FRIDAY, DEC. 31
Ashland 87, Walsh 84
NORTH CANTON — It was a matchup of the top two teams in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason poll, and two of the top teams in the early-season league standings.
In the end on Friday afternoon, the No. 8-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team prevailed over Walsh 87-84 on the road to maintain first place alone in the Great Midwest standings.
"I'm really excited that we are going to have that opportunity to learn from a win," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "I'm proud that we found a way to win. Walsh is a good team. On the road, not having but a day of practice, we found a way to win.
"I couldn't be more proud of this team."
The Eagles are 11-1 overall and 6-0 in the conference, while the Cavaliers are 8-3, 3-2. Ashland is on an eight-game winning streak going into 2022, while Walsh's three-game winning streak came to an end.
Four straight Walsh points to start the game were followed by a 15-4 Ashland run. At the first-quarter media timeout, the Eagles led 15-8, and by the end of the first 10 minutes, the AU advantage was 26-17.
In the first period, the Eagles made 9-of-15 shots from the field (6 of 10 from 3-point range) and had eight assists to no turnovers.
Ashland's lead at the second-quarter media timeout at the 6:21 mark still was nine points at 34-25, and that lead was cut to 34-30 with 4:56 left until halftime. The Eagles countered with back-to-back baskets from junior forward Annie Roshak, but the Cavaliers kept coming.
At the break, Ashland sported a 44-38 lead, thanks in large part to 64.0% shooting from the field and 8 of 14 from downtown. Walsh, however, made 61.6% from the floor and had a rebounding advantage of 14-8 in the first 20 minutes.
Walsh cut its deficit to 48-46 halfway through the third quarter, but senior guard Hallie Heidemann put a stop to two Cavaliers possessions by drawing charges. With 3:10 left in the third, Walsh tied the game at 49, then took a 51-49 lead at the 2:32 mark.
It was at that point that senior forward Karlee Pireu took over, making back-to-back baskets to give the Eagles the lead again. Then, with the score tied at 53, sophomore guard Sydney Jacobsen's 3-pointer started a 5-0 spurt, which gave AU a 58-53 lead going into the final stanza.
The overall Eagles run moved to 9-0 to start the fourth quarter, lifting AU to a 62-53 advantage. Ashland had two nine-point leads thereafter, then senior guard Erin Daniels' 3-pointer made it a 74-64 Eagles lead, then sophomore guard Macy Spielman's three-point play put AU up by 11 at 80-69.
Walsh got the score back to 84-79 in the final minute, but Pireu made 1-of-2 charity tosses, and after a Cavaliers layup, Roshak's layup put AU back up by six at 87-81. A Walsh 3-pointer tightened the game again, and the Eagles survived a last-second shot at the buzzer.
Five Eagles scored in double figures, paced by Pireu's 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting.
"It was a great team win," Pireu said. "We came into this game focusing on playing Ashland women's basketball for 40 minutes. I thought we did that."
Spielman had 17 points, Roshak 15, Heidemann 12 to go with seven assists, and Daniels 11 to go with five helpers.
Heidemann is tied with Lisa Graue for 24th place on AU's all-time scoring list with 1,048 career points.
The Eagles shot 60.3% from the field and had 21 assists on 35 made field goals.
"It was a total team effort," Pickens said. "We knocked down some big shots."
Ashland held on despite allowing 30 points and 15 rebounds to Sha Carter and 28 points to Mayci Sales. Walsh hit 58.7% from the field.
Pickens coached in her 100th career game as a head coach on Friday and is 87-13. The three other Ashland women's head coaches to get to at least 100 games were Robyn Fralick (98-2), Sue Ramsey (56-44) and Karen Linder (50-50).
Ashland will begin 2022 with a Great Midwest game at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium versus Trevecca Nazarene.
Wednesday, Dec. 29
Monday, Dec. 20
Saturday, Dec. 18
Ashland 68, Tiffin 61
TIFFIN — Ashland University senior guard Hallie Heidemann waited almost until the very last second to score her 1,000th career point.
On Saturday afternoon at the Old Fort Bank Court at the Gillmor Student Center, Heidemann's free throw in the waning seconds put her in the Eagle 1,000-point club and punctuated a 68-61 victory for the No. 9-ranked Eagles at Tiffin.
Ashland is 8-1 overall and continues to lead the Great Midwest Athletic Conference at 4-0, while the Dragons are 5-6, 2-3.
"We won, and I'm really proud that we came on the road…and we still found a way to win," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens. "It's the course of a season. There are highs and lows. It's just an opportunity to learn and get better from it."
Heidemann needed 18 points on Saturday to get to 1,000, and that's exactly what she got. She is the program's 26th all-time 1,000-point scorer.
"It's really special. It's an honor," Heidemann said. "And I think it's a testament to this program, and all of the great players I've played with. There's no way I would be at this milestone without them and without these coaches."
Said Pickens, "I'm really, really happy for Hallie. She knocked down a big free throw. She played really well, and I'm happy for her."
Ashland has beaten Tiffin 10 straight times and is 20-2 all-time against the Dragons with both teams as NCAA Division II institutions.
The Dragons ran out to an early 8-2 lead, but freshman forward Hayley Smith stopped that with a top-of-the-arc 3-point field goal. That basket started a 5-0 Eagles spurt, then senior forward Karlee Pireu's layup outside of the five-minute mark of the first quarter knotted the game at 9.
By the end of the first quarter, back-to-back layups from sophomore guard Macy Spielman helped AU to a 17-15 lead. A desperation shot clock-beating triple from Heidemann made it a 20-15 advantage early in the second quarter, but Tiffin rallied to re-knot the game at 20-all.
Ashland's defense was stronger in the second period, allowing Tiffin just nine points, but the lead was only 28-24 at halftime. The Eagles scored nine points on seven Dragons turnovers in the first 20 minutes, and kept Tiffin to 40.7-percent shooting from the field.
The Eagles were ignited early in the third quarter by a pair of free throws from junior forward Annie Roshak, then an old-fashioned 3-point play from Spielman, which put AU ahead 35-27. Tiffin, however, wouldn't go away quietly, scoring the next six points to cut its deficit to two points.
Heidemann kept bailing out the Eagles late in the shot clock, putting up another triple to move them to a 40-33 lead out of the second third-quarter media timeout. The back-and-forth play continued, and by the end of the third, thanks to yet another Heidemann trey, Ashland led 45-43.
Three consecutive triples from Roshak and senior guard Erin Daniels (two) gave the Eagles a 56-47 lead with 5:49 to play, Ashland went on to victory from there, not allowing the Dragons to tie or take the lead late.
Heidemann paced AU with her 18 points and seven rebounds, and Spielman added 17 points. Roshak had 11 points, and with 981 in her career, is 19 away from scoring 1,000 herself. Smith made it four AU players in double-digit scoring with 10 points.
"This team, we're trying to play to Ashland women's basketball (standards), to the best of our ability every time," Heidemann said. "It was a lack of energy and intensity coming out of the gate."
Daniels had eight points off the bench, none bigger than the two fourth-quarter treys.
"My team's confident in me, so I am confident in myself," Daniels said. "The coaches want me to let it fly. That kind of gave us some momentum, and the girls just took it from there. It was fun, it was so fun."
Ashland will finish the pre-Christmas portion of the schedule on Monday at 1 p.m. vs. Le Moyne (4-1) at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasiun.
Saturday, Dec. 11
Saturday, Dec. 4
Ashland 79, Cedarville 52
The No. 11-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team finished its first week in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference atop the league's standings following a 79-52 win at Cedarville on Saturday afternoon.
In winning the early-season game for first place in the conference, the Eagles improve to 6-1 overall and 2-0 in the Great Midwest. The Yellow Jackets are 4-2, 1-1.
"I thought we put together as close to a 40-minute basketball game as we have all year," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "We were able to take a few things away, and, offensively, I thought we did a lot of good things. I'm excited to continue to take a few steps forward.
"We're really excited to be in the GMAC. We're renewing some old rivalries."
The Eagles kept Cedarville, which came into the game as the top-ranked offense in the conference at 82.0 points per game, to 30 points less than its season average coming in.
Ashland is 18-11 all-time vs. Cedarville.
A first quarter filled with runs saw the Eagles go up early by an 8-2 count, then the Yellow Jackets score the next points, then AU go on a 15-4 run to end the period leading 24-13.
Ashland went into the locker room leading 38-27, and the catalysts were an offense which had a 50.0 field-goal percentage, and a defense which forced eight turnovers and kept Cedarville to 34.5 percent from the floor.
The Eagles kept the Yellow Jackets at a distance in the third quarter, leading 58-42 at the end of the period, and went on to victory from there.
Junior forward Annie Roshak paced four Eagles in double-digit scoring with a game-high 21 points to go with six rebounds and three blocks. Senior forward Karlee Pireu came off the bench for 14 points and eight rebounds, and with 1,286 career points, moved past Sue Rupp into 12th place on the program's all-time scoring list.
"Depth is one of our biggest strengths on the team this year," Pickens said. "We have a deep bench, and we want to be able to utilize it."
Sophomore guard Macy Spielman scored 11 points, and senior guard Hallie Heidemann added 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the victory.
"I thought we played 40 minutes of Eagle basketball," Spielman said. "We gave it everything we had and did our principles very well. That game was really fun. It was a huge win for our team."
Said Pickens, "I'm really pleased with Macy's progress so far this year. She had a lot to learn, and she's really put in the work to get better, to understand our system, and it's definitely showed."
The Eagles shot 50.8 percent from the field and kept the Yellow Jackets with 30.2 percent.
Ashland will play its first home Great Midwest game at the Sherill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium on Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. vs. Lake Erie.
Thursday, Dec. 2
Ashland 77, Ohio Dominican 53
COLUMBUS — Playing again at the site of its 2017 NCAA Division II national championship, Alumni Hall on the campus of Ohio Dominican University, the No. 11-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team took a 77-53 decision from the host Panthers on Thursday night.
The game was the Eagles' first in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, and they improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the league. ODU is 0-5, 0-1.
"I was really pleased with our performance today," said Ashland coach Kari Pickens. "In the first half, we did a few things defensively that weren't quite as sharp as we wanted it, but in the second half, we cleaned that up.
"We keep talking about our identity points and doing those really well, and I thought this was one of our best games where we put 40 minutes together like that."
Ashland is 18-0 all-time against Ohio Dominican and is 32-1 in its last 33 games in the month of December.
A strong start on both ends of the floor lifted the Eagles to an early 9-2 lead, as the Panthers turned the ball over four times in the first four-plus minutes. Ashland took a 23-13 lead into the second quarter, thanks in part to turning seven ODU turnovers into seven points and committing just one miscue in the opening stanza.
Senior guard Hallie Heidemann caught fire to start the second quarter, scoring eight of her 14 points at that juncture in the first 2:34 of the period, as the Eagles led 33-16. Even with a 9-0 ODU run to end the first half, Ashland led 43-31 going into the locker room.
Heidemann had 19 points in the first two quarters, including five 3-pointers, as the Eagles were 8-of-13 from downtown in the opening half. Ohio Dominican turned the ball over 15 times, resulting in 19 Eagle points, heading into the third quarter.
Ashland made sure that late ODU run didn't spill over into the second half, as it scored the first four points of the third quarter. The lead was 17 at 54-37 at the third-quarter media timeout, and by the end of the third, it was a 58-43 advantage, and Heidemann had 22 points.
Heidemann paced four Eagles in double-digit scoring with 24 points, and junior forward Annie Roshak followed right behind with 20, to go with a career-high-tying 11 rebounds. Senior forward Karlee Pireu added 11 points off the bench, and freshman forward Hayley Smith finished with 10.
The Eagles dished out a season-high 25 assists on 31 made baskets, and they shot 47.7 percent from the field and 43.5 percent from 3-point range.
"We shared the ball. We still need to clean up the turnovers," Pickens said. "It's a growing process, and I'm proud of the steps that we took today."
The Eagles' plus-11 rebounding margin on Thursday (36-25) was a season best.
Defensively, AU forced 27 ODU turnovers, resulting in 29 points. The Panthers also were held to 40.9-percent shooting from the floor.
Ashland will continue Great Midwest road play on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Cedarville (4-1, 1-0).
Sunday, Nov. 28
Ashland 71, Wayne State 59
The No. 6-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team came back to the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon and recorded a 71-59 win over No. RV and previous undefeated Wayne State.
Heading into conference play, the Eagles are 4-1, and the Warriors are 4-1.
"I was really proud of our team's response," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens, referring to the Eagles' 63-58 loss on Wednesday at Southern Indiana. "We had lost to a tough team on the road last week, and to be able to come home and beat a very talented Wayne State team was exciting.
"I thought the first half of basketball was absolutely outstanding."
Ashland now is 150 games over .500 (161-11, .936) in its last 172 games at home.
Senior guard Hallie Heidemann had five points and four rebounds in the first 5:10 of the game, helping the Eagles to an early 7-0 lead. After one quarter, Ashland led 19-13, thanks in part to six points off six Warrior turnovers.
Ashland continued to increase its lead, going up 39-22 late in the first half, then 42-24 at the break. Wayne State, however, scored the first five points of the third quarter to cut its deficit to 13 points at 42-29.
The Eagles' largest lead was 22 points twice in the fourth quarter on the way to victory.
Junior forward Annie Roshak led all scorers with 20 points, while pilfering a career-high-tying six steals. Senior forward Karlee Pireu came off the bench for 15 points and four assists, and moved past Daiva Gerbec for 13th place on AU's all-time scoring list at 1,261 career points.
Heidemann finished with nine points, a career-high 12 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. While Heidemann is approaching 1,000 career points, she also has become a complete player over time.
"Hallie has truly transformed," Pickens said. "They didn't have an answer for her defensively. She's truly a complete player. She sets the tone for our defense."
Ashland had 19 assists on 24 made field goals, and continued its hot shooting at the free-throw line – 14-for-15 on Sunday, 43-for-45 in the last three games and 90.5 percent so far this season.
Points off turnovers was a difference on Sunday, as well – 19 for AU off 23 WSU miscues, while the Warriors only scored four points off 13 Eagle mistakes.
"Defensively, there were a lot of things I loved about today," Pickens said.
Ashland's women will play their first Great Midwest Athletic Conference game on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Ohio Dominican.
"The first five games have challenged us to grow in our principles," Heidemann said, "and grow in what Ashland women's basketball wants to do. I think, going into conference play, just taking that, taking what we've learned and running with it."
Said Pickens, "ODU and Cedarville, they were our first two games for as far as I can remember. I'm excited to go back down there and play. We're looking forward to the challenge of starting the GMAC right."
Wednesday, Nov. 24
Southern Indiana 63, Ashland 58
Continuing its run of nonconference regional games prior to the start of Great Midwest Athletic Conference play, the No. 6-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team lost at Southern Indiana on Wednesday (Nov. 24) afternoon, 63-58.
The Eagles are 3-1 heading into Thanksgiving, while the Screaming Eagles are 4-1.
Ashland trailed 17-8 after the first quarter, turning the ball over seven times and making just 3-of-12 from the field.
In the second period, the Eagles worked the deficit down to a single point at 24-23 just outside of the media timeout, but the Screaming Eagles scored the last 11 points of the half to go up 35-23 at the break.
The first two quarters saw USI shoot 62.5 percent from the field, while AU made 37.5 percent and turned the ball over a dozen times. Senior guard Hallie Heidemann scored nine of her team-high 12 first-half points in the second stanza.
Ashland worked its deficit down to nine at 43-34 halfway through the third quarter before Southern Indiana countered with back-to-back-to-back layups for its largest lead of the contest to that point at 49-34.
The Screaming Eagles had a 17-point advantage at 53-36 late in the third, but Ashland scored the last five points of the period to trail by a dozen at 53-41 going into the final quarter.
Continuing to work their deficit down, the Eagles trailed 53-45 at the fourth-quarter media timeout at the 6:55 mark. At that point, USI had gone scoreless for nearly five minutes.
Trailing 55-47 outside of the four-minute mark, Ashland went into the bonus at the free-throw line. The Eagles got the game to a four-point margin at 55-51 thanks to charity tosses, but could get no closer.
Heidemann ended with a career-high 26 points, which included six 3-pointers, and added four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Junior forward Annie Roshak chipped in with 13 points, and freshman forward Hayley Smith added a career-high 11 points off the bench.
Ashland made 41.2 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from beyond the arc and 9-of-10 from the foul line, turning the ball over 22 times. USI made just 2-of-14 from the floor in the final period to end at 48.1 percent, but scored 19 points off Eagle miscues.
Saturday, Nov. 20
Ashland 80, Lewis 79
A back-and-forth second half on Saturday afternoon ended with the No. 8-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team hanging on for an 80-79 victory at Lewis.
The Eagles earned their third straight win to start the new season against a Great Lakes Valley Conference rival, while the Flyers are 0-4.
Lewis' largest lead was six points at 58-52 late in the third quarter. Ashland had a 78-70 advantage during the fourth quarter, then the Flyers scored nine points in a row to put themselves in position for a win.
Junior forward Annie Roshak, however, scored what would be the game-winning basket inside of the final minute, and Lewis' last-second attempts for the win fell short.
Roshak ended with a game-high 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor, while sophomore guard Sydney Jacobsen posted a career-high 16 points thanks in part to going 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Roshak had a team-high seven rebounds, and Jacobsen added six assists and four steals.
Senior forward Karlee Pireu was the third and final Eagle in double-digit scoring, ending with 13 points. With 1,244 career points, Pireu passed Alanna Buurma into 14th place on AU's all-time scoring list.
Ashland went 20-for-20 from the free-throw line, finishing two makes shy of the program record for most free throws without a miss in a game. The Eagles shot 55.8 percent from the field, and overcame turning the ball over 26 times and making just 2-of-11 from 3-point range.
Saturday, Nov. 13
Friday, Nov. 12
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland University women's basketball game results
