This Week's Schedule
Wednesday, Feb. 29, 7 p.m. – Northern Michigan (13-13/9-10 GLIAC) at ASHLAND (25-1/19-0)
(The game can be heard live on 1340 WNCO-AM with Matt Brubaker on the call.)
Overview
The Eagles open the GLIAC playoffs at home Wednesday when they host Northern Michigan. AU is the top seed in the tourney. This is the first time in school history Ashland has entered the tournament as the top seed. The Eagles are ranked fourth in the country (AU was fifth last week). The Eagles have a 25-game winning streak. Ashland hasn't stumbled since losing to Minnesota State-Mankato at California (Pa.) on Nov. 12, 63-46.
Northern Michigan is the eighth seed in the tourney field. NMU finished in third place in the GLIAC North Division and comes to Ashland with a two-game winning streak. The teams played at Kates Gymnasium on Feb. 18 and the Eagles won that game, 85-55.
If the Eagles defeat NMU they will host the GLIAC Final Four on Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 3-4. The games on Saturday will be played at 1 and 3 p.m., the GLIAC Championship Game is slated for Sunday at 2 p.m. Ashland has never played host to the conference Final Four.
Tournament Talk
Here are the first-round matchups in the GLIAC Tournament. All of these games will be played on Wednesday, Mar. 29
#8 Northern Michigan at #1 Ashland, 7 p.m.
#5 Lake Erie at #4 Michigan Tech, 5:30 p.m.
#6 Hillsdale at #3 Tiffin, 7 p.m.
#7 Findlay at #2 Ferris State, 7 p.m.
This is AU's 13th appearance in the GLIAC Tournament. Ashland's record in the GLIAC postseason is 9-12. The Eagles have never won the tournament championship.
AU has advanced to the GLIAC Championship Game four times. Those results appear below.
1997-98 – Northern Michigan 94, Ashland 74 (2OT)/at Marquette, Mich.
2005-06 – Grand Valley State 76, Ashland 58/at Allendale, Mich.
2007-08 – Michigan Tech 81, Ashland 53/at Houghton, Mich.
2010-11 – Michigan Tech 63, Ashland 53/at Houghton, Mich.
Ashland has hosted first-round GLIAC playoff games three times and is 3-0 in those games. Those results appear below.
2003-04 – Ashland 95, Northern Michigan 82
2004-05 – Ashland 71, Ferris State 70
2005-06 – Ashland 88, Wayne State 79
The Eagles have played Northern Michigan four times in the GLIAC postseason and the Wildcats have won three of those games. The history of those games can be found below.
1997-98 – Northern Michigan 94, Ashland 74 (2OT)/at Marquette, Mich.
2001-02 – Northern Michigan 84, Ashland 80 (OT)/at Grand Rapids, Mich.
2003-04 – Ashland 95, Northern Michigan 82/at Ashland, Ohio
2009-10 – Northern Michigan 71, Ashland 50/at Marquette, Mich.
About the Eagles
The Eagles are 13-0 at home this year. Dating back to last season the Eagles have a 17-game winning streak. The last time Ashland lost at home was against Findlay on Jan. 29, 2011. AU lost that day in overtime, 81-73…the Eagles have been in the GLIAC since the 1995-96 season. AU has won the GLIAC South Division title six times…this is the fifth time in school history Ashland has won 20 or more games in a season. Four of those 20-win campaigns have come with Sue Ramsey as the head coach…prior to this season, the school single-season record for victories came in 2003-04 when the Eagles went 23-8…AU has outrebounded the opposition in 12 consecutive games. The last time the Eagles didn't win the battle of the boards was at Tiffin on Jan. 12, when the Dragons held a 41-40 edge…the Eagles have had at least three players score in double digits for 15 consecutive games. The last time the Eagles failed to have a trio of double digit scorers was against Walsh on Dec. 30…Ashland has won the GLIAC South Division title and the GLIAC regular season titles this season…in its last two games, the Eagles have played suffocating defense. Lake Erie shot 27 percent (17-of-63) from the field and Northern Michigan hit on 32.7 percent (18-of-55) of its field goal tries…over the last three games no team has scored more than 18 points against Ashland in the first half (Michigan Tech – 18, Northern Michigan – 18, Lake Erie- 15)…over the last three games Ashland leads in second chance points, 35-15…the Eagles lead the GLIAC in scoring (77.8 ppg.), scoring margin (+19.4), free throw percentage (.814), field goal percentage (.480), three-point field goal percentage (.372), three-point field goal percentage defense (.298), rebound margin (+9.8), assists (18.7 apg.) and assist-turnover ratio (1.3)…AU players have won the GLIAC South Division player of the week award seven times this season. Ashley Dorner (Bellville, Ohio/Clear Fork) and senior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) have won the award two times apiece and junior forward Kari Daugherty (Fresno, Ohio/Dayton) is a three-time recipient…Daugherty is the GLIAC leader in scoring (20.6 ppg.) and rebounding (13.2 rpg.). Daugherty is third in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.8), fourth in assists (108/4.2 apg.) and field goal percentage (.510/205-of-402) and seventh in free throw percentage (.838/93-of-111) and blocked shots (29/1.1 bpg.)…Daugherty is the only player in school history with a triple double. Against Findlay on Jan. 5 she had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists…last Saturday at Lake Erie, Daugherty established a school single-game record with 24 rebounds. The previous record was 21 boards, set last season by Daiva Gerbec (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson). Daugherty has two games this year of 20 or more rebounds…Daugherty has recorded a double-double (points-rebounds) in eight consecutive games. The last time she didn't have a twin killing was at Wayne State on Jan. 26 when she had 25 points and six boards in 28 minutes…Dorner is the GLIAC leader in field goal percentage (.572/155-of-271) and is tied for 10th in scoring (13.7 ppg.) and is 16th in rebounding (6.2 rpg.)…Stutzman is third in the conference in three-pointers per game (2.7/69). She is tied for 10th in the league in scoring (13.7 ppg.). Stutzman's 69 three-pointers this season is the second highest single-season total in school history. In her career, Stutzman has 113 triples and that is the second highest total in school history. The career leader is Karen Bley with 202…sophomore guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) leads the GLIAC in assists per game (5.3) and assist-turnover ratio (2.0). She is sixth in the loop in field goal percentage (.490/76-of-155)…junior guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) is second in the conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.8). She's fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.414/48-of-116) and ninth in three-pointers per game (1.8)…freshman guard Taylor Woods (Wadsworth, Ohio) is second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage (.451/23-of-51).…AU has the top three players in the GLIAC in assist-turnover ratio – Miller, Tenyak and Daugherty.
Ashland and the NCAA
AU's rankings in this week's NCAA statistics can be found below.
Kari Daugherty - 2nd in Rebounds Per Game – 13.2
3rd in Double-Doubles – 18
9th in Points Per Game – 20.6
Ashley Dorner - 11th in Field Goal Percentage – 57.2
Alyssa Miller - 14th in Assist-Turnover Ratio – 2.0
14th in Assists – 5.3 apg.
Jena Stutzman - 22nd in Three-Point Field Goals Per Game – 2.7
Ashland as a Team 1st in Free Throw Percentage – 81.4
2nd in Assist-Turnover Ratio – 1.28
2nd in Personal Fouls – 13.0
2nd in Won-Loss Percentage – 96.2
3rd in Field Goal Percentage – 48.0
4th in Assists Per Game – 18.7
5th in Scoring Margin – 19.4
6th in Rebound Margin – 10.0
12th in Three-Point Field Goal Percentage – 37.2
20th in Three-Point Field Goals Per Game – 7.4
23rd in Turnovers Per Game – 14.6
Advanced Statistics
- Daugherty has scored 536 points. The school single-season record for points is 584 by Amber Rall in 2006-07. Rall and Daugherty are the only players in AU history to score 500 or more points in a season. Rall also had 568 points in 2005-06.
- Dorner is shooting 62.9 percent (22-of-35) from the field over the last three games.
- The last time someone other than Daugherty or Dorner led the Eagles in rebounding was when junior guard Kaci Finfrock (West Milton, Ohio/Milton-Union) pulled down seven rebounds against Oakland City on Nov. 26.
- Over the last eight games, Daugherty has averaged 17.9 rpg.
- Daugherty is the only player in the country to rank in the nation's Top 10 in both scoring and rebounding.
- The Eagles haven't missed more than three free throws in a game since they went 15-for-19 at the line on Jan. 12 at Tiffin.
- Ashland has had the same starting five – Daugherty-Dorner-Stutzman-Miller-Tenyak for 24 consecutive games. The last time that combo was broken up was on Nov. 13 vs. Indianapolis when junior Beth Mantkowski (Fairlawn, Ohio/Copley) was in the lineup in place of Dorner.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ramsey has a career record of 374-325 and this is her 25th season. At Ashland she is 279-197 and this is her 17th season. Ramsey has guided the Eagles to the only two NCAA Division II playoff berths in school history. Those came in 2003-04 and 2005-06. Ramsey is AU's career leader in victories. The AU head coach is also an assistant athletic director and the university's senior women's administrator.
Prior to arriving at AU, Ramsey spent eight years as the head coach at the University of Dayton (1986-1994). She served as an assistant coach at Cincinnati (1984-86) and Miami (1983-84) and as a graduate assistant coach at Illinois State (1982-83).
Ramsey is a 1978 Miami (OH) graduate. She earned her master's degree from Dayton in 1988.
Scouting the Wildcats
Much of NMU's success revolves around 5-8 senior guard Chelsea Lyons. She's third in the league in scoring (16.5 ppg.) and brings down 6.1 rpg. Lyons is fifth in the conference in steals per game (2.2). She's 10th in free throw percentage (.806) and 11th in field goal percentage (.478). On Feb. 23, Lyons had 34 points in a 71-62 win over Northwood. In this year's game against the Eagles Lyons had 18 points (6-of-17 from the field, 5-of-6 from the free throw line).
Lyons is this week's GLIAC North Division player of the week. In two games last week Lyons averaged 26.0 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 4.0 apg., and shot 61.2 percent from the field. She shot 93.3 percent from the free throw line.
Alyssa Colla, a 5-11 freshman guard, averages 8.8 ppg. Hillary Bowling, a 5-10 senior guard, averages 8.7 ppg., and 4.1 rpg. Courtney Lemon, a 6-3 freshman center, averages 7.6 ppg., 4.3 rpg., and has blocked 18 shots.
The head coach of the 'Cats is Troy Mattson. He's in his seventh season.
The Ashland-Northern Michigan Series
Northern Michigan has a 16-7 lead in the series with Ashland. When the teams played on Feb. 18, AU outrebounded the 'Cats, 41-21 and led in points in the paint, 28-16 and in second chance points, 10-4. The Eagles made 23-of-24 free throw attempts (95.8 percent) and were 14-of-14 at the line in the second half. Daugherty had 25 points and 14 rebounds, Dorner had 25 points and nine rebounds and Stutzman had 16 points and went 4-for-5 from three-point range.
Great In the GLIAC
Here are the teams that have gone through the GLIAC schedule without a loss.
Year Team Record
2011-12 Ashland 19-0
1996-97 Northern Michigan 18-0
1988-89 Oakland 16-0
1984-85 Saginaw Valley State 16-0
1983-84 Saginaw Valley State 16-0
1982-83 Oakland 16-0
1981-82 Oakland 16-0
1979-80 Wayne State 10-0
1974-75 Grand Valley State 8-0
The Top Ten
This week's ESPN/USA Today Division II Top Ten can be found below. Look for some shuffling among the ranked this week as on Wednesday, Edinboro lost by a point in overtime at Mercyhurst and California-San Diego lost by a single digit at Humboldt State.
Rank Institution Last Week's Rank Record Points
1 California-San Diego 1 27-1 717
2 Wayne State (Neb.) 3 26-2 709
3 Clayton State (Ga.) 4 26-2 701
4 Ashland 5 25-1 682
5 Edinboro 2 25-1 666
6 Bentley (Mass.) 6 24-3 616
7 Metropolitan State 7 24-2 609
8 Alaska-Anchorage 11 25-4 516
9 South Carolina-Aiken 10 23-3 499
10 Washburn 12 25-4 516
Up Next
If AU wins the NMU game, the GLIAC Final Four will be in Ashland on Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 3-4. Pairings for those games will be announced on Thursday (Mar. 1).
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