Box Score ASHLAND, Ohio – The Eagles used a dominant defensive performance and guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville) started her senior celebration a game early to vault visiting Ashland to a 66-46 win at Ohio Dominican on Thursday (Feb. 24) night.
The 46 points surrendered by the Eagles were the fewest by an AU opponent since Dec. 20, 2008, when the Eagles turned in a 70-44 win over Saginaw Valley State.
Poorman poured in a career-high 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the floor. She also contributed five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The Eagles (16-9, 11-7 GLIAC) led nearly wire-to-wire, allowing the Panthers a 3-0 lead before overtaking them in the early-going.
AU went on an 11-1 run over the final five minutes of the first half to build its lead to 34-19 at the intermission. The Eagles forced 12 turnovers in the first half and 20 for the entire game.
The lockdown defense carried into the second half as the Panthers never clipped the Eagles' lead below 11 points. The Eagle defense limited Ohio Dominican (6-19, 4-14 GLIAC) to just 32.1 percent (16-for-49) shooting from the field, including just 10 two-point field goals in the game. The Eagles led in points in the paint, 32-16.
It was Poorman's sharp shooting and sophomore forward Daiva Gerbec's (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) presence in the post on both ends of the floor that carried the Eagles.
Gerbec finished with 13 points and a game-high 15 rebounds (six offensive). It the 15th double-double of the season for the GLIAC's leading rebounder. She is now just six rebounds shy of breaking Jackie Mason's AU single-season rebounding mark of 280 boards (2003-04). Gerbec also clinched the school record for rebounds per game of 10.2 – a figure also set by Mason. The sophomore is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game.
Poorman, one of two seniors on head coach Sue Ramsey's squad, broke her previous career high of 19 points, which she has set twice, the latest coming in this season's opener at Mercyhurst on Nov. 13.
Sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) scored 12 points as the third Eagle in double figures. Senior forward Elizabeth Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) had seven points, three steals and two rebounds.
Meredith Fox led all Panther scorers with 10 points to go along with five rebounds. Summer Hale had eight points and five boards.
The Eagles won the rebounding battle, 32-28, and also continued their hot free-throw shooting, knocking down 19-of 22 attempts (86.4 percent). They entered the week as the national leader in free throw percentage and increased their mark to 78.9 percent with this performance.
Ashland returns to Kates Gymnasium on Saturday (Feb. 24) afternoon for its regular season finale against Lake Erie. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. The Eagles beat the Storm, 84-71, in Painesville on Dec. 11. The Eagles will celebrate Senior Day, honoring Poorman and Tyler during the game's festivities.
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