Thursday, Dec. 5, 6 p.m.
Ashland (2-1, 0-0 GLIAC) at Grand Valley State (2-1, 0-0 GLIAC)
Ford Fieldhouse, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Saturday, Dec. 7, 1 p.m.
Ashland (2-1, 0-0 GLIAC) at Ferris State (0-2, 0-0 GLIAC)
Jim Wink Arena, Big Rapids, Mich.
(Both games will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM 1340 with Matt Brubaker on the call.)
Setting the Scene
The Eagles begin conference play on the road and are the two-time defending GLIAC regular season and tournament champions. Over the last two seasons, Ashland has gone 40-1 and is averaging 77.1 ppg., against GLIAC opponents. The Eagles are 1-0 on the road this season as they defeated Mercyhurst, 60-47 on Saturday, Nov. 30. The Eagles have won 22 straight games against GLIAC North Division opponents and are 29-4 in the last three years. They haven't lost since a 63-53 decision against Michigan Tech in the GLIAC Tournament championship on Mar. 6, 2011.
About the Eagles
Ashland has one of the best backcourts in the county. In their first three games, the starting guards of Alyssa Miller, Taylor Woods, and McKenzie Miller have averaged 49.3 ppg. They are responsible for 67.5 percent of the team's scoring…the Eagles are the nation's leader in free throw percentage (84.8 percent) and are eighth in turnovers (12.7). Last year, the Eagles finished fifth in the country in both statistical categories. The backcourt scoring has been key, but as a team, the Eagles are shooting well, ranking fifth in the GLIAC in both field goal percentage (45.1 percent) and three-point field goal percentage (34.9 percent)…in the win against Mercyhurst, the Eagles played their best defensive game of the season, holding the Lakers to just 47 points and 32.1 percent from the field (17-of-53). The teams were tied, 23-23 at the intermission, but Ashland's offense caught fire and shot 59.3 percent in the second half thanks to McKenzie Miller and Kelsey Peare. Miller went 4-for-4 from the field and Peare went 4-for-5 as both scored nine second half points. Miller finished with a team-high 15 and Peare totaled 11. Ashland forced 23 turnovers and scored 23 points off of those turnovers. The Eagles had season highs in both fast break points (10) and points in the paint (34) against the Lakers. Despite the low scoring, Ashland shot a season-best 45.8 percent (27-of-59) from the field…the Eagles have shot over 44 percent from the field in all three games this season and in six of their last 10 games dating back to last year…Ashland made a season-low one three-pointer against Mercyhurst. The Eagles are averaging 7.3 three-pointers this season, which ranks fourth in the GLIAC…the Eagles have been out-rebounded in each of their first three games by an average of 8.3 rpg…Ashland is 5-1 in its last six GLIAC openers, with the only loss coming on Nov. 29, 2009 against Ferris State, 75-57.
Eagles to Watch
Senior guard Alyssa Miller leads the GLIAC in minutes (37.0 mpg.) and is seventh in the league in scoring (17.3 ppg.). She had nine points and a team-high eight rebounds against Mercyhurst. Miller also has become one of the best rebounding guards in the conference, as she's pulling down 7.0 rpg., which ranks 12th…Miller is Ashland's all-time leader with 473 career assists and set an AU single-season record with 192 last year…Miller recorded a school-record 15 assists at Tiffin (Feb. 23, 2013)…She ranks 11th in the GLIAC in both assists (3.3 apg.) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.08).
Junior guard Taylor Woods is second in the conference with 13 made three-pointers. She ranks fourth in the nation, averaging 4.3 threes made per game. Woods has made at least one three in 15 of her last 16 contests. Since the beginning of the 2012-13 season, Woods has made four or more threes in a game seven times…Woods has been a constant at the top of the scoring charts this season in the conference. Currently, she is fourth, averaging 20.0 ppg…against Indianapolis, Woods set an Ashland single-game record with nine three-pointers, breaking the old record of eight set by Bridget Donovan in 1999 against Mercyhurst. She also set a career high, scoring 29 points…Woods has scored 20 or more points in four of her last seven games dating back to last season.
Sophomore guard McKenzie Miller is third on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg.) and ranks second in both rebounding (5.3 rpg.) and field-goal percentage (55.2 percent). Miller ranks 10th in the GLIAC in minutes (30.0 mpg.). She's scored 15 points in two consecutive games and is shooting 65 percent (13-for-20) from the field over that span.
Freshman forward Suzy Wollenhaupt has scored 10 points in each of the first three games this season and is ninth in the GLIAC free-throw percentage (90.9 percent). As a freshman, Wollenhaupt has been inserted directly into the starting lineup and is seventh in the conference in minutes (32.0 mpg.). She is second on the team with McKenzie Miller with 5.3 rpg. and is 20th in the GLIAC in offensive rebounds (7).
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ramsey is in her 19th year at Ashland. Her record at Ashland is 326-200 (.620) and her career record as a college head is 421-328 (.562). Ramsey is the program's career leader in wins and has led AU to four postseason berths. She was named the 2012 GLIAC coach of the year and the WBCA NCAA Division II national coach of the year. She also received the WBCA's Carol Eckman Award in 2012 and in the fall, she was inducted into Miami's (Ohio) Cradle of Coaches. Ramsey has won 20 or more games five times and has two, 30-win seasons on her resume. AU has won the last two GLIAC Championships under Ramsey, the only two titles in program history. The 2011-12 team went 19-0 in the GLIAC, the only team in conference history to complete a conference schedule unblemished.
Ramsey vs. Grand Valley State: 10-14
Ramsey vs. Ferris State: 17-9
About Grand Valley State (2-1, 0-0 GLIAC)
Grand Valley is ripe with young talent, as it has 11 underclassmen and just one senior on the roster…The Lakers began their season in Nashville, Tenn., where they defeated Truman State, 81-68 on Nov. 22, but fell to Missouri-St. Louis the next day, 71-57. Grand Valley is coming off an eight-point win against Lewis, 67-59 at home…the Lakers have struggled on offense so far this season. They are 13th in the GLIAC this season in scoring, averaging 68.3 ppg., and are 15th in field-goal percentage (35.8 percent). Grand Valley has found success at the free throw line, making 20.7 free throws per game, which is second in the conference. The Lakers are fourth in free-throw percentage (74.7 percent)…on defense, the Lakers are averaging 41.3 rpg. They are third in the conference in blocks (4.0 bpg.) and turnovers (14.3 per game).
Senior guard Dani Crandall is the team's top scorer and second-leading rebounder. She ranks 14th in the GLIAC in scoring (14.0 ppg.) and field-goal percentage (55.6 percent) and grabs 6.3 rpg. She has shot 53.8 percent over her last two games and is averaging 18.0 ppg., during that stretch. Against Missouri-St. Louis, she scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and had six rebounds and four assists. She has played in 78 career games.
Sophomore center Jill Steinmetz leads the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg.) and blocks (4). She is third in the conference in field-goal percentage (69.2 percent) and 11th on the boards …against Missouri-St. Louis, Steinmetz had 11 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. In the game against Lewis, she grabbed 10 rebounds to go with eight points.
Freshman forward Piper Tucker is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 10.3 ppg. She grabs 5.0 rpg. Tucker has two games in double figures and is eighth in the conference in free-throw percentage (92.3 percent). In her first collegiate game, she scored 15 points and had six rebounds.
Janel Burgess begins her seventh season as the Grand Valley State head coach. She is 105-65 in her first six seasons and has earned five GLIAC tournament appearances and a pair of NCAA tournaments berths. In her first two seasons leading the Lakers, Burgess won 36 games, the most ever by a Grand Valley head coach to begin a career.
Eagles-Lakers
Grand Valley State leads the all-time series, 15-11. Ashland has won the last three games in the series. From 2008 to 2010, Grand Valley State went 5-0 against the Eagles and beat them in the first round of the 2009 GLIAC Tournament, 59-49. Last year, the Eagles defeated the Lakers, 90-66 at Kates Gymnasium. Ashland shot 22-for-31 (71 percent) from the field and 7-for-11 (63.6 percent) from the three-point line in the first half and led, 52-29 at the intermission. Ashland finished the game going 34-of-58 (58.6 percent) from the field and 9-of-15 (60 percent) from deep. Alyssa Miller scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out seven assists. Woods scored 12 points and had five assists.
About Ferris State (0-2, 0-0 GLIAC)
The Bulldogs open their GLIAC schedule with the Storm of Lake Erie on Thursday. FSU opened the season in Louisville, Ky., and fell to Bellarmine, 64-61 on Nov. 23 and then to Nova Southeastern the next day, 94-70…the Bulldogs are the second best team in the conference in terms of offensive rebounding (18.5 rpg.). They are eighth in the GLIAC in steals (8.5 spg.).
Senior guard Sarah Deshone is tied for the conference lead in scoring at 21.0 ppg., and is tied for 10th in field-goal percentage (58.6 percent). She scored 20 points in the season opener against Bellarmine and 22 points against Nova Southeastern…she averages 35.0 mpg., which is fourth in the conference and is shooting 83.3 percent from the free-throw line…Deshone was named an All-American last season and had 20 or more points in a game 10 times.
Redshirt-sophomore Christina Branch returns to the lineup after missing all but three games last season with an injury. Branch was named the GLIAC Freshman of the Year in 2011-12. Branch is averaging 8.5 ppg., and is fifth in the GLIAC bringing down 7.5 rpg., this season. Branch scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Nova Southeastern.
Another redshirt-sophomore having a good early season is Dena Droste. She is a transfer from Kent State University where she played in 17 games as a freshman. Droste is second on the squad in scoring (11.0 ppg.) and is averaging 4.0 rpg. She scored 14 points against Nova Southeastern and has made two threes in each game this year.
Colleen Lamoreaux-Tate begins her second season as the head basketball coach at Ferris State. She is the sixth head coach in program history and led the Bulldogs to a 13-13 record in her first year, good enough for a GLIAC Tournament appearance. She played her college basketball at Lake Superior State and Aquinas. Prior to accepting the Ferris State position, she served as the head coach at Grand Rapids Catholic Central, where she went 167-19 in seven seasons.
Eagles-Bulldogs
Ashland leads the all-time series, 17-10 and has won six consecutive matchups with Ferris State. These two teams split the first 18 games in the series, but since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, the Eagles have won eight of the last nine meetings. The only loss during that time frame was on Dec. 3, 2009 in the GLIAC opener, as the Bulldogs prevailed, 75-67 at Jim Wink Arena. Last year, Ashland defeated Ferris State, 72-62 at Kates Gymnasium. The Eagles shot 30-for-69 (43.5 percent) from the field and had 21 assists in the game. The Eagles led at the intermission, 40-25 and out-rebounded the Bulldogs, 44-38. Alyssa Miller scored 13 points and went 6-for-12 from the field and had seven assists while Woods had 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Deshone led all players with 20 points on just 6-of-20 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds.
Up Next
Ashland returns home to Kates Gymnasium for two games against Saginaw Valley State (Dec. 16, 5:30 p.m.) and Wayne State (Dec. 18, 5:30 p.m.) before traveling to New York for a game against the New York Institute of Technology on Dec. 21.
AU
WBB/MB
