This Week's Schedule
Thursday, Dec. 2 – ASHLAND at Hillsdale, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 4 – ASHLAND at Wayne State, 3 p.m.
A Quick Look at the Eagles
The Eagles open GLIAC play this week with road games at Hillsdale and Wayne State. Ashland is 5-0. This is the first time AU has been 5-0 since the 2008-09 season. AU was 3-0 last week, winning at Walsh and winning home games over the weekend against Urbana and Wheeling Jesuit. Ashland was picked third in GLIAC South Division in the GLIAC coaches' postseason poll. Ashland and Hillsdale are the only two GLIAC teams that are 5-0. Four GLIAC teams begin this week with unblemished records. In addition to the Eagles and Chargers, Tiffin and Grand Valley State are 4-0.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ashland University head coach Sue Ramsey is in her 23rd season as a collegiate head coach. Her overall record is 335-314. At Ashland, Ramsey is 240-186. This is her 16th season at AU. Ramsey is the program's career leader in victories and she has guided the Eagles to the NCAA Division II playoffs twice (2003-04, 2005-06). She is the only coach in the program's history to lead the Eagles to the Division II playoffs. Ramsey's 2003-04 team won a school record 23 games.
Prior to arriving at AU, Ramsey spent eight seasons as the head coach at the University of Dayton (1986-1994). The AU head coach is a 1978 Miami (OH) graduate. She earned her master's degree from Dayton in 1988.
Eye on the Eagles
Junior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) is averaging a team-high 15.6 ppg. Stutzman scored 20 points last Sunday in an 80-45 win over Wheeling Jesuit. That was the second 20-point performance of the season for Stutzman. She had 22 points in the season opener at Mercyhurst. Stutzman came to AU with the reputation of being an exceptional long-range shooter and she's lived up to that billing – she has 14 triples (14-of-35, 40 percent). Stutzman is this week's GLIAC South Division player of the week. Last week, she averaged 15.7 ppg., 4.0 rpg., and 2.0 steals per game. Stutzman is sixth in the GLIAC in scoring and second in three-point field goals per game (2.8) …sophomore center Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) has three double-doubles (points-rebounds) this season. Gerbec is pulling down 11.8 rpg., and averages 13.4 ppg. Last week, she had 21 points and 12 boards against Urbana (Nov. 27) and 10 points and 13 rebounds against Wheeling Jesuit (Nov. 28). Against Central State (Nov. 16) Gerbec collected a school-record 21 rebounds. Gerbec is the GLIAC leader in rebounding…freshman point guard Kaci Finfrock (West Milton, Ohio/Milton-Union) scored a career-high 15 points against Urbana. In that game she was six-for-11 from the field, three-for-six from three-point range. Finfrock is tied for second on the team in three-pointers (eight)…senior guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville) is third on the team in scoring (11.2 ppg.) and is the team leader in assists (22). Poorman averages 4.0 rpg…Poorman tied her career-high of 19 points against Mercyhurst (Nov. 13). She is sixth in the GLIAC in assists (4.4 apg.) and ninth in assist-turnover ratio (1.7)…sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) is thriving coming off the bench. She's fourth on the team in scoring (8.8 ppg.) and is tied for second on the team in three-point field goals (eight)…AU has found a pair of steady inside players in senior forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) and Beth Mantkowski (Fairlawn, Ohio/Copley). Both are averaging 4.2 rpg. Mantkowski is tied for third in the league in blocks (10/2.0 bpg.). Tyler is tied for fifth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.556/five-of-nine).
Streaks, Strings and Things
No team has scored more than 53 points against the Eagles since Mercyhurst hit for 66 points in the season opener (Nov. 13)…the 45 points AU allowed last Sunday against Wheeling Jesuit marks the best points allowed figure since the Eagles held Saginaw Valley State to 44 points on Dec. 20, 2008…Ashland has been outrebounded just once this season, at Walsh (44-29)…over the last two games, the Eagles have outrebounded the opposition, 101-60…over the last two games, Gerbec is nine-for-nine at the free throw line. She's shooting 82.6 percent at the stripe. A year ago, she clicked on 71.3 percent (67-of-94) of her free throw tries…the Eagles have shot 50 percent or better from three-point range twice this season…Ashland's next three games are on the road. A year ago, Ashland was 5-9 away from home…AU has nine players currently active. Every player on the roster is averaging at least 11.8 minutes per game…Finfrock has eight three-point field goals in five games. A year ago she has seven in 25 games…when AU defeated Walsh, the Cavaliers were ranked 14th in the country (NAIA)…Ashland is second in the GLIAC in rebound margin (+9.4), third in scoring margin (+22.6) and fourth in turnover margin (+1.20).
Facts and Figures
- Over the last two games, AU has outscored the opposition, 76-26 in the paint.
- The last time Ashland started the year 6-0 was in 2000-01. The last time the Eagles started 7-0 was in 1996-97. That season, Ashland won its first 12 games before falling to Central State, 77-74.
- AU allowed 45 points against Wheeling Jesuit last week. The fewest points the Eagles have allowed under Ramsey was 37, against Salem International in 2005-06.
Grade A "D"
For years, Ashland University has employed one locksmith. Maybe this is the year that changes.
A look at the chart below shows how solid the Eagles have been with lock-down defense this season. A year ago, AU allowed 69.1 ppg., and was outrebounded on a nightly basis, 39.8-33.5. The season is still young, but this team seems to have a defensive state of mind.
"We've changed a little bit of our defensive strategy, we've changed how we handle dribble penetration," explained Ramsey. "That's been a case of teaching an old dog new tricks for me. When I analyzed what was hurting us, it was the dribble drive. We gave up too many shots in the paint and we fouled a lot. Then teams were in position to get offensive rebounds."
Now, AU is the GLIAC leader in field goal percentage (.304) and is outrebounding the opposition, 45.2-35.8. Ashland has made more free throws (60) than the opposition has taken (51). The Eagles are permitting 53.4 ppg.
Ramsey says the Eagles' defensive prowess goes beyond straight numbers. This team gets angry when it gives up a basket.
"They take it personally when people score on them," said Ramsey.
Date/Opponent Points FG% 3FG% Turnovers
Nov. 13/Mercyhurst 66 39.3 32.3 16
Nov. 16/Central State 50 27.0 22.2 16
Nov. 23/Walsh 53 31.1 18.2 20
Nov. 27/Urbana 53 31.7 37.5 19
Nov. 28/Wheeling Jesuit 45 23.8 29.2 16
The Company They Keep
Triple A and assorted cruise lines will help in planning a vacation. There is no such help available when it comes to putting together a non-conference itinerary. That is up to the discretion of the coach and each bench boss differs in that regard.
That's what makes it so difficult to evaluate teams at this point in the schedule. Wayne State is 0-5, but has played five road games and they have all come against Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) teams. Many teams around the country will enter December without a mark in the loss column, but the teams they've played would get a lot of sand kicked in their faces if they were on the beach.
Ramsey has been on numerous NCAA selection committee and knows something about putting together a non-conference slate.
"With the pre-conference schedule I'm all about Division II," explained the AU head coach. "Our opponents are either provisional Division II teams or proven members of Division II. I'm also mindful of the travel in our conference. I don't want to get too far from our hometown of Ashland. There's plenty of good competition within two or three hours of Ashland."
Schools are encouraged to play region games. For many GLIAC schools, that usually means a heavy diet of GLVC schools. AU has often done that in the past, playing Indianapolis and Northern Kentucky on a regular basis. Next season, the Eagles will play at Kentucky Wesleyan and host Saint Joseph's. Ramsey, like a lot of coaches, factors in the kind of team she will have when she constructs a non-conference schedule.
"Each school has to schedule as to what type of team they have coming back," Ramsey said. "If you have a young team, you don't want to bury them too quick."
AU's non-league card this year includes Mercyhurst, a Pennsylvania Conference school that returns five starters and a Walsh team that was ranked 14th in the country (NAIA). In San Diego in late December, the Eagles will play Holy Family, which is 3-1 and ranked eighth in the country. The trip west also includes a game against Assumption, which is from New England, a part of the country the Eagles don't visit.
"With the tournaments I like to see different talent," said Ramsey. "When I saw who we were playing in San Diego I was pleased. I have great respect for both of those programs. That will be a great measuring stick for us."
Ashland vs. Hillsdale/Wayne State
The Eagles went 2-0 against Hillsdale last season. That broke a six-game Ashland losing streak against the Chargers. In 2009-10, the Eagles defeated the Chargers in Hillsdale, 80-72 (Jan. 21, 2010) and won at Kates Gymnasium, 87-74 (Feb. 27, 2010). Last year's victory at HC snapped a three-game losing streak on the Chargers' home floor. Hillsdale leads the all-time series, 20-17.
Ashland has won five straight times against Wayne State. The last time the Warriors got the better of the Eagles was in Detroit on Dec. 8, 2007, 58-52. Last season, the Eagles won at WSU, 76-66 (Feb. 18, 2010) and in Ashland, 67-58 (Jan. 30, 2010). In the all-time series, Ashland is in front, 27-12.
Scouting Hillsdale
The Chargers were in Ashland last week for two games in the Holiday Inn Express Classic. Hillsdale is 5-0 and has an average margin of victory of 13.0 points. The only team to stay within 10 points of the Chargers has been Walsh, which lost in overtime to HC (85-81).
The Chargers have five players averaging 10.0 ppg., or more. The leader is 5-9 junior guard Chelsea Harrison at 14.4 ppg. She has 13 three-pointers (shooting 41.9 percent from three-point range) and a team-high 17 assists. Laura Barczak, a 6-0 senior forward, averages 11.8 ppg., and 5.4 rpg. Lea Jones, a 5-6 sophomore guard, is good for 11.2 ppg., and 4.8 rpg. She's knocked down 12 triples. Emily Anderson, a 5-8 sophomore guard, produces 11.0 ppg., and 3.4 rpg. Katie Bildner, a 6-0 junior forward, averages 10.0 ppg., and a team-high 6.6 rpg.
Claudette Charney is in her ninth season as Hillsdale's head coach. She's also been a head coach at Alma, Saginaw Valley State and Grand Valley State. Her career record is 472-260. In this year's GLIAC coaches' preseason poll Hillsdale was picked to finish second in the South Division, trailing only Findlay.
Scouting Wayne State
The Warriors begin the week with a 0-5 record. All of those games have been played away from home. All five losses have come to Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) schools – Southern Indiana, Kentucky Wesleyan, Lewis, Wisconsin-Parkside and Northern Kentucky.
WSU's leading scorer is 5-8 sophomore guard Tyler Hardy. She scores 12.8 ppg. Kiara Smith, a 5-5 junior guard, averages 10.0 ppg. Chelsea Davis, a 5-11 sophomore forward and Paige Sickmiller, a 5-9 sophomore guard, are both bringing in 4.2 rpg.
Gloria Bradley is in her 11th season as Wayne State's head coach. In 2003, she guided the Warriors to their only NCAA Division II playoff appearance.
On Deck
The Eagles play once next week, visiting Lake Erie on Saturday (Dec. 11, 3 p.m.). That will be the first time the schools play with the game being a GLIAC contest. The Storm is in its first season as a GLIAC member. LEC is off to a 1-2 start.
AU
WBB/ALK
