This Week's Schedule
Thursday, Jan. 20 – ASHLAND (9-5/4-3 GLIAC) at Saginaw Valley State (4-10/2-6 GLIAC), 8 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 22 – ASHLAND (9-5/4-3 GLIAC) at Lake Superior State (10-4/7-1 GLIAC), 3 p.m.
A Quick Look at the Eagles
The Eagles' workload increases this week as they play a pair of games against GLIAC North Division foes. AU has played just one game each of the last two weeks. This week, the Eagles visit Saginaw Valley State and Lake Superior State. LSSU has established itself as one of the GLIAC's top teams. Last Thursday, the Eagles stopped a four-game losing streak with a 73-41 win over Tiffin.
Flight Patterns
Both games this week can be heard live on WNCO (1340 AM) with Ken Carman on the call.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ashland University head coach Sue Ramsey is in her 23rd season as a collegiate head coach. Her overall record is 339-319. At Ashland, Ramsey is 244-191. 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
AU junior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) scored a career-high 31 points last week against Tiffin. Stutzman connected on 10-of-13 shots from the floor and went 4-for-6 from three-point range. Stutzman is second in the GLIAC in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and is the conference leader in three-point field goals (38/2.7 per game). Over the last three games, Stutzman has 12 three-pointers. The junior is also ninth in the league in assist-turnover ratio…sophomore forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) recorded her sixth double-double (points-rebounds) of the year last Thursday. She had 13 points and 12 rebounds against Tiffin. Gerbec is averaging 14.5 ppg., and 10.0 rpg. She is the GLIAC's leading rebounder and is ninth in scoring. The sophomore forward is second in the conference in free throw percentage (.894/59-of-66)…senior guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville) is sixth in the GLIAC in assist-turnover ratio (1.4). Poorman is tied for third on the team in scoring (8.7 ppg.). She's also the team's third-leading rebounder (4.4 rpg.)…sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) is tied for ninth in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.429). Tenyak had eight points against Tiffin…freshman point guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) has garnered more playing time recently and is third on the team in steals (14). Miller made the first start of her collegiate career against Tiffin…senior forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) is averaging 8.7 ppg., and 5.1 rpg. She is AU's second leading rebounder…sophomore forward-center Beth Mantkowski (Fairlawn, Ohio/Copley) has rejected 13 shots. That ties her with Gerbec for the team lead. ..over the last four games, Mantkowski has averaged 9.0 ppg., and has shot 61.9 percent from the floor.
Streaks, Strings and Things
AU is 13-0 against Tiffin. Over the last three meetings, the Eagles have never won by less than 12 points…Ashland was 3-10 against GLIAC North Division teams last season…Stutzman has scored 20 or more points in a game six times. In addition to the 31-point outburst last week, she had 29 points against Mars Hill at the Surf and Slam Classic in San Diego…Gerbec has been AU's leading rebounder 10 times this season…over the last three games, Stutzman has averaged 25.0 ppg…AU outrebounded Tiffin, 44-33. That's the first time the Eagles outrebounded the enemy since they got the better of Lake Erie on the glass, 51-28 on Dec. 11…over the last two games, Ashland has led in points off of turnovers, 45-28.
Facts and Figures
- The 41 points the Eagles allowed against Tiffin is a season low. That's the fewest points the Eagles have yielded since Nov. 15, 2008, when they held Glenville State to 41 points. The last time Ashland allowed less than that was during the 2005-06 season when AU defeated Salem International, 94-37. Both Glenville State and Salem are in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC).
- AU has held five teams this season to 53 points or less. Ashland is permitting 62.1 ppg. A year ago AU gave up 69.1 ppg.
- The Eagles lead the GLIAC in scoring (73.1 ppg.) and are second in free throw percentage (.776) and fourth in field goal percentage (.436). Ashland's rebound margin (+4.7) is third best in the conference.
- Gerbec is 13th in the nation in free throw percentage and 27th in rebounds per game. Stutzman is 26th in the country in three-pointers per game.
- Four players – Stutzman, Gerbec, Poorman and Tyler – have started every game this season. Poorman has started 35 of AU's last 42 games
- Stutzman has 38 triples. Lindsey Gaut led last year's team with 36 treys.
- The Eagles have been extremely consistent at the free throw line for the last several years. Last year's team shot 75 percent from the charity stripe. This year's team is shooting 77.6 percent at the line. AU is ninth in the nation in free throw percentage.
- Stutzman is averaging 19.0 ppg., in league games and Gerbec is at 16.9 ppg.
- Gerbec has a team-leading 54 offensive rebounds. She led last year's team with 68 offensive boards.
- A year ago, the Eagles were 7-3 in January.
Ashland vs. Saginaw Valley State
The Eagles hold an 11-7 edge in the series with the Cardinals. The teams split a pair of games last season. At Ashland on Feb. 11, 2010, the Eagles prevailed, 76-63. At SVSU on Dec. 19, the Cardinals won, 85-80. That is the Cards' lone win against Ashland in the last four meetings. Poorman scored 19 points in last year's game at Saginaw Valley State. Gerbec had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds at Ashland. AU's second-ever game in GLIAC Tournament play was against SVSU in 1996-97 and the Cardinals won that matchup, 75-71.
Scouting Saginaw Valley State
The Cardinals are one of three teams tied for fifth place in the GLIAC North Division. All of those teams are 2-6 in league action. SVSU has lost five of seven games and brings a two-game losing streak into the game with Ashland.
The Cards receive 9.2 ppg., and 7.8 rpg., from Cheritee Green, a 6-0 sophomore forward. Kristen Greene, a 5-8 freshman guard, is producing 9.9 ppg., and is fourth in the GLIAC in three-pointers per game (2.3). Aysha Boston, a 5-7 sophomore guard, is fourth in the league in assists (65/4.6 apg.). She's sixth in steals (28/2.0 spg.) and eighth in assist-turnover ratio (1.3). Boston averaged 10.5 ppg., in two games against the Eagles last season.
Grace Herzog, a 6-3 sophomore center, is second in the GLIAC in rejections (46/3.3 bpg.). Herzog brings down 5.6 rpg.
Shannon Baugh is in her third season as the SVSU head coach. She was an assistant coach at the University of Buffalo before coming to Saginaw Valley State. SVSU was 7-20 last season, 5-17 in the GLIAC.
Ashland vs. Lake Superior State
The Lakers are in front in the all-time series with Ashland, 14-7. A year ago, the Lakers swept the season series, winning at home, 62-59 (Dec. 17, 2009) and in Ashland, 65-53 (Feb. 13, 2010). AU hasn't scored more than 59 points in any of the last three games against the Lakers. AU's last win over LSSU came on Dec. 12, 2008, at Kates Gymnasium, 69-67.
Scouting Lake Superior State
The Lakers are a solid, all-around team. They are second in the GLIAC North Division. LSSU is 10-4 overall, 7-1 in conference play. The Lakers have won seven of their last eight games. The only setback during that time came to eighth-ranked Michigan Tech, 69-66. That game was played last Thursday. Last Saturday, the Lakers downed Northern Michigan, 62-58.
LSSU is the GLIAC leader in free throw percentage (.800) and is third in turnover margin (+1.93). Lake State is also the national leader in free throw percentage. The Lakers are fourth in the conference in scoring (68.6 ppg.), steals (126/9.0 spg.) and three-point field goal percentage (.360).
Emily Joseph, a 5-6 senior guard, is fourth in the GLIAC in scoring (16.3 ppg.). In GLIAC play she is averaging 22.0 ppg. Joseph is the conference leader in steals (33/2.4 spg., and she's seventh in assists (56/4.0 apg.) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.429) and free throw percentage (.835). Cassy Schemberger, a 5-11 junior forward, leads the loop in field goal percentage (.670/61-91). She averages 11.0 ppg.
Maria Blazejewski, a 6-0 sophomore forward, averages 12.2 ppg., and 4.9 rpg. Nicole Marshall, a 5-9 senior guard, averages 11.4 ppg., and 4.5 rpg.
Jamie Pewinski is in her fifth year as the head coach of the Lakers. Prior to being elevated to the top job, she was an assistant coach at LSSU for seven seasons.
In the GLIAC
Ashland sits in second place in the GLIAC South Division. Findlay, the defending division champion, is in first place with a 7-1 record. Hillsdale and Tiffin are right behind Ashland. Both teams are 5-4.
In the North Division, Michigan Tech is 8-0 and in first place. MTU is 13-1 overall. Lake Superior State is second and Grand Valley State (12-3/6-3) is third. The top eight teams in the league advance to the GLIAC Tournament.
On Deck
After this week's games, the Eagles will play three consecutive games at Kates Gymnasium. Next week, AU will host Wayne State (Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m.) and Findlay (Jan. 29, 3 p.m.).
AU
