Box Score At this time of the year, at the biggest Christmas parties, there is normally a coat check – a place to store a coat and hat.
Friday night (Dec. 14), eleven days short of Christmas, is not normally gut check time in the college women's basketball season. That, however, is a good way to describe the Ashland-at-Indianapolis game. In this instance, no one takes care of your coat, your hat or what happens to you once you take the court.
AU entered the game ranked first in the nation and the host Greyhounds were ranked fifth. Neither team had a loss this season. Both teams knew that this result could play big at the end of the season when the home court for the regional tournament is decided.
The Eagles had another issue at play that could cause a stomach to toss like the Tilt-A-Whirl. Starting point guard Taylor Woods (Wadsworth, Ohio) was sidelined by an injury. For the first time this season, AU head coach Sue Ramsey would have to adjust a starting five that had remained the same through 10 games.
Thanks to 24 points and 13 rebounds from senior forward Kari Daugherty (Fresno, Ohio/Dayton), 16 points and 17 rebounds from senior forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) and 12 points, six rebounds and five assists from junior guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) the Eagles came away with a 70-54 verdict. This was AU's 36th straight regular season victory.
Daugherty, who is in her second season at Ashland, went past 1,000 career points. She entered the game needing nine points to reach 1,000. She has scored 1,015 points in an AU uniform.
Ashland is 11-0 and Indianapolis is 6-1. This was the fewest points the Eagles have allowed since holding West Texas A&M to 48 points in the season opener on Nov. 9.
As for the newcomer in the lineup, junior guard Noelle Yoder (Millersburg, Ohio/Bowling Green), she more than held her own. She finished with 10 points in 34 minutes. She knocked down 2-of-3 three-point field goal tries.
Indy scored the game's first five points, but that's about where the highlights ended for the Greyhounds. The Eagles quickly got into the flow of things and by halftime, had a 34-24 lead. That lead stayed in double digits for much of the early part of the second half. The Greyhounds got as close as five points, 53-48 with 9:07 left in regulation, but AU scored the game's next three points and didn't look back after that.
Miller scored 10 of her points in the second half. Throughout the 40 minutes, AU got good pressure on the perimeter. Indianapolis went 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from three-point range. AU also did an excellent job controlling All-GLVC guard Kristin Turner. The Eagles limited her to 13 points. Turner did have eight assists. Guard Katy McIntosh had 19 points and five rebounds.
The Eagles did several other things well that paid off in this game. AU had 20 offensive rebounds compared to seven for the Greyhounds. In second chance points, AU led, 18-4.
At the free throw line, the Eagles connected on 12-of-14 attempts (85.7 percent). Indianapolis got to the free throw line only eight times and made five shots (62.5 percent).
The Greyhounds entered the game second in the nation in field goal percentage defense and sixth in scoring defense. Indy normally allows 48.5 points per game. AU exceeded that, but the Greyhounds kept the Eagles far below their norm of 82 points per game.
The double-double was the 28th straight for Daugherty. That is an NCAA Division II record. She reached 1,000 points in just 46 games.
"What Kari has accomplished in a year is amazing," noted Ramsey. "It's a tribute to how hard she works and what she puts into the team. It's a team honor as well as a Kari Daugherty honor."
The Eagles will return to GLIAC action on Monday (Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m.) when they host Northwood.
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