This Week's Schedule
Thursday, Jan. 13 – Tiffin (9-4/4-3 GLIAC) at ASHLAND (8-5/3-3 GLIAC), 7:30 p.m.
A Quick Look at the Eagles
Ashland enters this week in foreign territory. The Eagles have a four-game losing streak for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Last Wednesday, the Eagles lost in double overtime at Findlay, 80-77. During this skid AU has lost to Hillsdale (80-77), Assumption (64-48), Mars Hill (74-73) and Findlay. This week's game against Tiffin is AU's first home game since Dec. 19 against Hillsdale.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ashland University head coach Sue Ramsey is in her 23rd season as a collegiate head coach. Her overall record is 338-319. At Ashland, Ramsey is 243-191. 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 forward-center Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) had 28 points and 16 rebounds last week at Findlay. Gerbec has five double-doubles (points-rebounds this season). Gerbec is second in the GLIAC in rebounding (9.8 rpg.) and is 10th in scoring (14.6 ppg.). The sophomore is the conference leader in free throw percentage (56-of-62, .903) and she's 10th in the country in that department. At Findlay, Gerbec went 6-for-6 at the free throw line…senior forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) has moved up to 12th in the conference in field goal percentage (.490)…junior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) is AU's leading scorer at 16.2 ppg. She is fourth in the conference in scoring and third in three-point field goals per game (2.6). No one in the GLIAC has more triples than Stutzman (34). The junior is eighth in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.3)…senior guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville) is seventh in the league in both assists (3.9 apg.) and assist-turnover ratio (1.4). Poorman had eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals at Findlay…sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) is ninth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.421).
Streaks, Strings and Things
Last week's double-overtime game at Findlay was AU's first double-overtime game since the 1997-98 season when the Eagles downed Ferris State, 101-92. That came in the second round of the GLIAC Tournament…four of AU's last five games have been decided by three points or less…over the last two games, the Eagles have been outscored in second chance points, 27-19…Stutzman has scored 20 or more points in a game five times this season. She had a season-high 29 points on Dec. 30 in San Diego against Mars Hill and her second highest output of the season – 25 points – came at home against Hillsdale on Dec. 19. Stutzman had a season-high five three-pointers against Mars Hill…last week at Findlay, Stutzman played 50 minutes and Poorman logged 48 minutes.
Facts and Figures
- The Eagles have been outrebounded in their last four games. The last time Ashland led on the glass was on Dec. 11 at Lake Erie (51-28). AU is outrebounding the opposition, 41.8-37.6.
- Over the last three games, the Eagles have averaged 29.3 points in the second half.
- AU had 22 points off of turnovers at Findlay. That's the Eagles' best mark since they had 27 at Hillsdale (Dec. 21, 2010).
- Stutzman has played at least 38 minutes in three of the last four games.
- The Eagles are second in the GLIAC in scoring (73.2 ppg.) and tied for second in free throw percentage (.776). They are third in field goal percentage defense (.357) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage defense (.285) and rebound margin (+4.2).
- AU had won five consecutive games at Findlay before last week's loss.
- Ashland is seventh in the nation in free throw percentage (77.6).
- Of the five Saturdays in January, Ashland has open dates on three of those days.
- A year ago, the Eagles were 7-3 in January.
- The Eagles haven't shot better than 29.4 percent from three-point range since they connected on 41.2 percent (7-of-17) of their three-point attempts against Hillsdale on Dec. 19.
- A year ago against Tiffin at Kates Gymnasium, Gerbec had 15 points and 12 boards. At Tiffin, Tyler had 14 points and nine rebounds and Poorman's line included 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Ashland vs. Tiffin
The Eagles have never lost to Tiffin. The all-time series leans in Ashland's favor, 12-0. Last season, the Eagles won at Tiffin, 65-53 and in Ashland, 76-64.
Scouting Tiffin
The Dragons will bring a three-game winning streak to Ashland. Tiffin's last game was last Saturday and resulted in a 79-65 win over Hillsdale. The Dragons are tied for second place in the GLIAC South Division. They last lost on Dec. 18, against Wayne State, 65-48.
The Dragons list 12 players on the roster and none of those players is a senior. TU has been 7-20 each of the last two seasons. This year's team features one of the best all-around players in the GLIAC in 5-3 junior guard Mandy Jaeb. A native of Louisville, Ohio, Jaeb is third in the league in scoring (16.4 ppg.) and tied for seventh in steals (24/2.0 spg.). She is ninth in free throw percentage (.838/31-of-37) and 10th in field goal percentage (.509). In two games against the Eagles last season, Jaeb averaged 20.0 ppg. Last week, Jaeb became the 14th player in school history to score 1,000 or more points.
Karli Mast, a 5-6 sophomore guard, averages 12.7 ppg. Jessica Harris, a 6-1 sophomore forward, is eighth in the conference in rebounding (7.8 rpg.). She's tied for fourth in steals (29/2.2 spg.). Harris had 10 points and 14 rebounds a year ago at Ashland. Mast is out of Berlin, Ohio, the same hometown of AU's Jena Stutzman.
Jennifer Johnston, a 5-7 junior guard, is fourth in the GLIAC in three-point field goal percentage (.474). Holly Focke, a 5-7 junior guard, is third in the loop in assist-turnover ratio (1.9).
The head coach of the Dragons is Pam Oswald. This is her fourth season at the school.
The Dragons know how to play defense. They are second in the GLIAC in scoring defense (54.8). Tiffin is the GLIAC leader in assists (16.5 apg.), steals (146/11.2 spg.), turnover margin (+8.92) and assist-turnover ratio (1.3). The Dragons have 23 more steals than second place Wayne State.
Tiffin is third in the conference in scoring margin (+14.3).
"They're doing so much with consistent effort," said Ramsey. "It's efficiency with the basketball. Their assist-turnover ratio is great. They do a nice job of mixing up their defenses. At one point they will press us. At another point, they're in a 2-3 zone. I have so much respect for Jaeb. Now, she's got others around her. They're just an efficient team."
In the GLIAC
Ashland has 13 regular season games left to play and all are in the conference. With the midway point of January arriving at the end of the week, the conference races are beginning to take shape.
The GLIAC North Division features three teams with legitimate NCAA postseason hopes. That trio includes Michigan Tech (11-1/6-0), Lake Superior State (9-3/6-0) and Grand Valley State (11-2/5-2). MTU (12th) and GVSU (ninth) were both nationally ranked last week. Lake Superior State should join them soon, last Saturday the Lakers downed Grand Valley State, 79-72 in overtime. Of that powerful trio, the only school Ashland will play at home is Grand Valley State (Feb. 10).
In the GLIAC South Division, Findlay (9-3/5-1) sits alone in first place. The Oilers won the division crown a year ago. Hillsdale (9-3/4-3), Tiffin (9-4/4-3), Ashland and Wayne State (3-9/3-3) line up behind the Oilers. The top eight teams in the conference will advance to the GLIAC postseason tournament.
"X" Marks the Spot
The Eagles are playing with a pair of very young point guards – sophomore Kaci Finfrock (West Milton, Ohio/Milton-Union) and freshman Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley). Finfrock has started all 13 games this season and over the last several games, Miller has seen her playing time increase. Miller is averaging 16.1 minutes per game. She's also been on the floor late in recent games.
Like most young players, these two have seen plenty of ups and downs. Both are gaining valuable playing time and in time, the Eagles could have two exceptional point guards. The fact that the two are playing so much now bodes well for the future.
"Our two point guards bring us very different things," said Ramsey. "As point guards, they are asked to manage the team out on the floor, but I don't want to put all of that responsibility on them. There are others out there who can do that too, Jena and Rachel."
Ramsey says that Stutzman can expect to have the ball in her hands more in the second half of the season. She might not be a true point guard, but she's experienced and savvy enough to handle the spot. As for Miller, her game might be the most improved of any player on the team since practice began in mid-October.
"Alyssa could be our X factor," said Ramsey. "Those players do a lot of things that don't show up in the stats. It's getting the extra rebound, being in the right place on defense, getting us in the proper offense when they change defenses, communicating non-stop out on the floor. Alyssa is developing into that role."
On Deck
Next week the Eagles hit the road for a pair of games, calling on Saginaw Valley State (Thursday, Jan. 20, 8 p.m.) and Lake Superior State (Saturday, Jan. 22, 3 p.m.).
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