Box Score Just about any employer these days values time management. That made be something new in the business world, but it's an old school value in basketball.
The Ashland University women's basketball team had that point driven home again on Thursday night (Dec. 16) at Kates Gymnasium where the Eagles held on to defeat Northwood, 62-60.
Ashland got a win and improved to 8-1, 3-1 in conference play, but in the closing seconds, the Eagles resembled a depleted marathon runner staggering across the finish line under a blazing sun. AU was ahead, 62-20 and was taking the ball out under the Northwood basket with three tenths of a second left to play. All the Eagles had to do was get the ball inbounds and the final horn would sound.
The Eagles failed to execute that play. They threw a pass that touched no one and sailed out of bounds. That gave the ball back to the Timberwolves (2-7/0-5) for one last chance. AU escaped when the inbounds pass wasn't handled cleanly by the 'Wolves and fell to the floor.
Northwood gave the Eagles all they could handle in just about every facet of the game. AU shot 33.8 percent (22-of-65) from the floor and the teams were even on the glass – 42 rebounds per team. NU had a 16-8 edge in second chance points. AU turned the ball over 13 times. The Timberwolves gave a solid defensive effort and Ashland had very few easy possessions.
Ashland's two leading scorers – guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) and forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) – both endured tough sledding. Stutzman scored a season-low nine points, going 4-for-16 from the floor and 1-of-7 from three-point range. She entered the game averaging 16.4 ppg.
Gerbec played a season-low 22 minutes. She led the Eagles in scoring with 16 points. Gerbec was 5-for-11 from the field and was 6-for-6 at the free throw line. She grabbed five rebounds – far below her average of 11.4 rpg. Gerbec fouled out with 2:48 remaining in regulation and her absence at the end of the game was felt on both ends of the floor.
The game was tied, 33-33 at halftime. Ashland's largest lead in the second half came with 14 minutes to play when Stutzman's only trey of the game put the Eagles ahead, 48-40.
Northwood kept hanging around and the 'Wolves took their only lead of the second half, 53-52, on a layup and free throw by Savannah Stedman with 6:56 to play. A jumper by forward Beth Mantkowski (Fairlawn, Ohio/Copley) with 6:10 left put the Eagles back on top, 54-53. After that, AU never trailed, but the teams were never separated by more than four points.
Ashland took a 62-58 lead with 2:31 left when freshman guard-forward Mikaela Lengal (Brunswick, Ohio) dropped in a layup, drew a foul by Rachel Church, and added a free throw. Those were the last points scored by the Eagles. After that, AU missed two jumpers and gave the ball away twice.
While some fans will lament the lack of production from Gerbec and Stutztman, they should take another look at the boxscore and revel in the play of the bench and some of AU's younger players. Lengel had nine points and four boards in 16 minutes and rookie guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) had five points, a team-leading six assists and four rebounds in 31 minutes. Mantkowski had nine points and six rebounds. Senior forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) led Ashland with eight rebounds.
Northwood received 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists from forward Pam Wilson and 11 points and five rebounds from Stedman. Church had 15 points. She had five, three-point field goals.
The Eagles will return to the court on Sunday (Dec. 19), when they host Hillsdale. On Dec. 2, the Eagles downed the Chargers in Hillsdale, 75-56.
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