This Week's Schedule
Thursday, Dec. 16 – Northwood (2-6/0-4 GLIAC) at ASHLAND (7-1/2-1 GLIAC), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 19 – Hillsdale (7-2/2-2 GLIAC) at ASHLAND (7-1/2-1 GLIAC), 3 p.m.
A Quick Look at the Eagles
AU basketball fans can get a stocking stuffer before the holiday. This week, the Eagles get their first look at Northwood and finish the season series with Hillsdale. Ashland defeated HC on Dec. 2 at Hillsdale, 75-56. AU has not played at Kates Gymnasium since Nov. 28. After the games this week, the Eagles will head to the San Diego for two games at the Surf and Slam Classic (Dec. 29-30). The Eagles are second in the GLIAC South Division. Findlay (6-1/2-0) leads the division.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ashland University head coach Sue Ramsey is in her 23rd season as a collegiate head coach. Her overall record is 337-315. At Ashland, Ramsey is 242-187. 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
Sophomore center Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson), this week's GLIAC South Division player of the week, is averaging a double-double – 14.4 ppg., and 11.4 rpg. Gerbec is the GLIAC leader in rebounds per game and she is 11th in the nation in that department. She pulled down 21 rebounds in a game earlier this year and that ties her for the second highest single-game total in NCAA Division II this season. Last week at Lake Erie, Gerbec notched her fourth double-double of the season with a season-high 22 points and 18 rebounds. In the GLIAC, Gerbec is 11th in scoring, tied for 11th in blocked shots (9/1.1 bpg.) and seventh in free throw percentage (.892)…junior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) scored a season-high 23 points last Saturday at Lake Erie. Stutzman is third in the GLIAC in scoring (16.4 ppg.) and three-pointers per game (21/2.6 per game). She's 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.3), 12th in steals (14/1.8 spg.) and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.382)…senior guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville) is fifth in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.7) and tied for eighth in assists (4.1 apg.). Poorman is third on the team in scoring (11.3 ppg.)…sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) is second in the GLIAC in three-point field goal percentage (.536/15-of-28) and tied for 10th in triples per game (15/1.9 per game).
Streaks, Strings and Things
Poorman has had five or more assists in a game four times this season…in last Saturday's 84-71 win at Lake Erie, Stutzman had 23 points and Gerbec scored 22 points. That's the first time this season the Eagles had two players score 20 or more points in a game…the Eagles have been outrebounded just twice this season – at Wayne State (34-33) and at Walsh (44-29). AU had 51 boards at LEC – the Eagles have collected 50 or more rebounds three times this season. Their season high of 60 rebounds came at Kates Gymnasium against Central State…the Eagles are tied for first in the league in scoring (76.8 ppg.) and are first in field goal percentage defense (.330). AU is second in scoring margin (+17.9), three-point field goal percentage (.406) and rebound margin (+10.4)…Ashland is 4-1 on the road and 3-0 at home. The Eagles have scored 80 or more points in two of three home games. All told, AU has hit the 80-point plateau four times this season…the Eagles were guilty of a season-high 24 turnovers at Lake Erie…Ashland is 3-0 all-time against LEC and the 84 points the Eagles scored last week is their lowest total ever against the Storm.
Facts and Figures
- The Eagles are 13th in the country in field goal percentage defense and 19th in scoring margin.
- Sophomore forward-center Beth Mantkowski (Fairlawn, Ohio/Copley) is averaging a team-best 1.3 blocks per game (10 total).
- AU has nine players averaging in double digits in minutes played. Stutzman averages a team-high 31.9 minutes per game. No one plays less than 12.3 minutes per game.
Ashland vs. Northwood/Hillsdale
Ashland leads the all-time series with Northwood, 13-4. Northwood took two games from AU last season, winning in Ashland, 77-67 and in Midland, MI, 60-57. AU's last victory over the 'Wolves came at Quicken Loans Arena on Feb. 22, 2009, 74-68. Northwood has won three of the last five meetings against Ashland. At one point, AU led the series with the Timberwolves, 12-0.
The Eagles have a three-game winning streak against the Chargers. Hillsdale leads the all-time series, 20-18. In this year's first meeting, on Dec. 2 at HC, Ashland won, 75-56. That is one of four games this season AU has limited the opposition to less than 60 points. Ashland outrebounded the Chargers, 44-30 and shot 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the floor in the second half. Over the last 20 minutes, the Eagles went 3-for-6 from three-point range. AU led at halftime, 32-28. The Ashland bench scored a season-high 32 points and AU had five players reach double digits in scoring. Tenyak scored a season-high 18 points to lead AU. Gerbec had 16 points and eight rebounds and senior forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) also grabbed eight rebounds.
Scouting Northwood
With the arrival of head coach Jeff Curtis, NU became a factor in the GLIAC. In 2007-2008, Curtis was named the GLIAC coach of the year and the region coach of the year. Before he arrived, NU had never advanced to the league tournament. Curtis is in his seventh season.
The 'Wolves begin the week sitting in seventh place in the GLIAC North Division. NU has been able to rely on 6-3 junior guard-forward Savannah Stedman, who is averaging 13.1 ppg. Stedman is ninth in the GLIAC in field goal percentage (.547) and fourth in blocked shots (14/1.8 bpg.). She averages 6.8 rpg. Pam Wilson, a 5-10 senior forward, is fourth in the conference in rebounding (8.6 rpg.). Sara Pawlaczyk, a 5-7 junior guard, is fifth in the loop in assists (4.4 apg.). Rachel Church, a 5-7 sophomore guard, is tied for seventh in the conference in three-pointers per game (16/2.0).
NU is trying to break a six-game losing streak. Last week, the Timberwolves lost at home to Grand Valley State (Dec. 9, 64-49) and at Ferris State (Dec. 11, 81-79). Northwood's last victory came on Nov. 16 against Alma, 63-55.
Scouting Hillsdale
The Chargers have been among the GLIAC elite the last several seasons and the expectation around the league is that the Chargers will retain that status in 2010-2011. The Chargers are third in the league in scoring (74.0 ppg.) and second in three-point field goals (75/8.3 per game). HC is third in three-point field goal percentage (.403) and turnover margin (+2.89). Head coach Claudette Charney, in her ninth season at Hillsdale, has a team with one of the best perimeter games in the league.
Chelsea Harrison, a 5-9 junior guard, is seventh in the GLIAC in scoring (15.8 ppg.). She's second in three-pointers (24/2.7 per game) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.462/24-of-52). Harrison also shoots .856 from the free throw line. She logs a league-high 35.6 minutes per game. Laura Barczak, a 6-0 senior forward, averages 11.9 ppg. She's fourth in the GLIAC in free throw percentage (.906) and sixth in field goal percentage (.600/39-of-65) and blocked shots (12/1.3 per game). Guard-forward Emily Anderson, a 5-8 sophomore, averages 11.8 ppg., 3.2 apg., and is third in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.8). Lea Jones, a 5-6 sophomore guard, is sixth in the league in three-point percentage (.472) and ninth in triples per game (17/1.9). Katie Bildner, a 6-0 junior forward, brings down 6.4 rpg.
In the first meeting between AU and Hillsdale this season, Harrison tied for the team lead in scoring (10 points) and handed out a team-high eight assists. HC went 6-for-16 (37.5 percent) from three-point range. Jones had a team-high six rebounds.
The Chargers do not play this week before arriving in Ashland. Last week, the Chargers went 1-1, defeating Ferris Sate at home (Dec. 7, 81-62) and losing at Lake Superior State (Dec. 11, 78-71). Hillsdale is in third place in the GLIAC South Division.
Trying to Be Fit and Find the Right Fit
A year ago, Northwood was decimated by injuries. By Ramsey's count, the Timberwolves lost four players to season-ending injuries. While Ramsey is quick to remind anyone that the Eagles' plans in 2009-2010 were derailed in part by injury, she admits that AU's problems couldn't begin to hold a candle to what Northwood went through.
Because the 'Wolves have so many players coming back from injury and because they are attempting to get those players back in top form and introduce new players to the program, their early-season record may have taken a hit. Ramsey believes that the 'Wolves are still in the process of getting everyone on the same page. When that happens, she believes NU will become one of the league's better teams.
"I'm thankful we're playing them early," noted Ramsey. "Church (Rachel) has been out a year, she's finding her range. Their record is very deceiving. They've been in every game. I think Jeff (Curtis) has been trying to figure out his rotation. All the pieces of the puzzle are there."
Last week, the Eagles tangled with Lake Erie's Stephanie Rogers, a center who is leading the country in field goal percentage and is in the top four in the nation in blocked shots. Thursday, AU will see Wilson, a rugged forward who can make plays all over the floor.
"She's a workhorse," Ramsey said. "Inside and outside, she's played just about every position. She has a tremendous will to succeed. I have a tremendous amount of respect for her."
Guarding the Guards
When the talk turns to defensive basketball, coaches often talk about the ability to defend the paint. Against Hillsdale, it's important to be able to defend the perimeter. In fact, to have success against the Chargers, a team must be able to control the perimeter.
"Hillsdale is just the inverse," explained Ramsey. "We try to take away the perimeter and leave our posts one-on-one. We tell them to take care of business."
Defense on the perimeter is often overlooked, but on Sunday, the Eagles will have to be at their best. The Chargers have multiple options from outside, this isn't a team that relies on just one long-range gun. Hillsdale moves the ball well and knows how to get the ball to the right players on the right spots on the floor.
"Our defense has to make changes when we play Hillsdale," admitted Ramsey. "We extend the defense. When they catch the ball, you want to try and make them do something they don't want to do."
On Deck
Ashland will be idle after this weekend until flying west for the Surf and Slam Classic on Dec. 29-30. In California, AU will play Assumption and Holy Family.
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