Box Score Four years ago, forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) made a first impression on AU women's basketball fans with her rebounding and hard-nosed play. Guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville) caught the attention of the AU fans with her pinpoint free throw shooting and ability to keep the ball moving on the on the offensive end of the court.
Tyler and Poorman, the two seniors on this year's team, are still working on their lasting impression. More than anything, what the two stand for is an ability to ride out the storm and win, no matter what they face.
Saturday (Feb. 26) at Kates Gymnasium, the duo helped the Eagles take another step toward the GLIAC playoffs with a dominating 78-52 win over Lake Erie. Tyler, in her final game on the Kates floor, scored a career-high 24 points to lead all players in the game.
This has not been an easy season for an AU team that is 17-9, 12-7 in GLIAC play. In late January, the Eagles lost their versatile floor leader, guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State), for the year with a leg injury. That caused players to shift roles. Injuries that were suffered at the start of the year shortened the bench. AU has had little margin of error since the middle of January.
Still, here the Eagles sit, ready to go to Findlay on Wednesday (Mar. 2), for a first-round GLIAC playoff encounter. A win there would propel the Eagles to the GLIAC Final Four.
Tyler gave the Eagles 27 inspired minutes against Lake Erie. She was 10-of-14 from the floor, had six rebounds, three assists and a block and a steal. She was too much for the Storm (3-22/2-17) to handle driving to hoop from the top of the key, or when she camped down on the block.
When Tyler wasn't tearing apart the Storm, sophomore forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) was putting up her usual numbers – double figures in points and rebounds. Gerbec had 15 points and 12 boards, her 16th double-double of the year. She also eclipsed Jackie Mason's single-season record for rebounds (280, 2003-04). Gerbec is on her way to breaking Mason's record for rebound average (10.2) in a season.
Tyler, Mason and everyone else on the floor got the ball in positions where they could work. Freshman point guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) had a career-high 13 assists. That's just one assist off the school single-game record of 14, shared by Alethea Lamberson (vs. Mars Hills in 2006) and Sara Whitis (vs. Mercyhurst, 1999).
Ashland also got 11 points each from sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) and freshman forward Mikaela Lengal (Brunswick, Ohio). Tenyak, who has been exceptional from long range all season, hit 3-of-6 shots from three-point range.
The Eagles never trailed in this contest and scored the game's first seven points. Ashland shot 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the field, outrebounded the Storm, 43-33, led in second chance points, 17-9 and in points off of turnovers, 29-21. The Eagles did an excellent job defending LEC's multi-talented center Stephanie Rogers. Rogers had six points and five rebounds. She was 1-for-13 shooting from the field.
Wednesday's playoff game against Findlay will be the third meeting this season between the teams. Findlay has won the first two games, winning at Croy Gym in double overtime on Jan. 5, 80-77 and in overtime in Ashland on Jan. 29, 81-73.
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