The NCAA Division II Elite Eight
Tuesday, Mar. 26, 2013
Bill Greehey Arena, San Antonio, Texas
9:30 p.m. – Gannon (31-4) vs. Ashland (34-1)
Sights and Sounds
All Ashland games from the Elite Eight will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM, 1340 with Matt Brubaker describing the action. The campus radio station, WRDL-FM, will also do the AU games live. WMFD-TV in Mansfield, Ohio, will televise both semifinal games and the national championship game if AU advances. CBS Sports Network will do the semifinal games and the championship game live.
Setting The Scene
The Ashland University Eagles, ranked second in the nation, are making their second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. AU is the only team in this year's field that was in the Elite Eight a year ago. Last spring, Ashland lost to Shaw in the national title game, 88-82 in overtime. Four starters are back from that team.
The Eagles are the Midwest Region champions. AU has won two consecutive regional titles and two straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. This year's team has set a school single-season record for victories.
Last weekend, the Eagles went 3-0 at the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament, which was played in Ashland. AU opened the tourney with a 70-56 win over Indianapolis. The Eagles followed that up with a 67-54 conquest of Michigan Tech. In the regional championship game, AU defeated Wayne State, 72-63. At one point in the second half, the Eagles trailed the Warriors by eight points. With 4:54 left in regulation the score was tied, 60-60. The Eagles outscored the sixth-seeded Warriors, 12-3 the rest of the game.
In the national quarterfinals, AU faces a familiar foe – Gannon. The teams played in California this season. On Nov. 10, in the second game of the season, the Eagles stopped the Golden Knights, 70-59.
The Eagles and the NCAA Postseason
This is AU's fourth trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs. All of those journeys have been made with Sue Ramsey as the head coach. Ashland's all-time record in the NCAA postseason is 9-3. The Eagles were 5-1 in NCAA postseason play last season. AU's postseason history appears below.
Year Game Round
2003-04 Ashland 82, Ferris State 69 Regional – at Quincy
2003-04 Lake Superior State 95, Ashland 82 Regional – at Quincy
2005-06 Grand Valley State 87, Ashland 59 Regional – at Grand Valley State
2011-12 Ashland 87, Maryville 62 Regional – at Ashland
2011-12 Ashland 71, Quincy 69 Regional – at Ashland
2011-12 Ashland 78, WI-Parkside 65 Regional Championship – at Ashland
2011-12 Ashland 71, Alaska-Anchorage 51 Elite Eight – at San Antonio
2011-12 Ashland 77, Bentley 62 Elite Eight – at San Antonio
2011-12 Shaw 88, Ashland 82 (OT) National Title Game – at San Antonio
2012-13 Ashland 70, Indianapolis 56 Regional – at Ashland
2012-13 Ashland 67, Michigan Tech 54 Regional – at Ashland
2012-13 Ashland 72, Wayne State 63 Regional Championship – at Ashland
The Postseason Party
Here's the schedule for Tuesday, Mar. 26 when the national quarterfinals will be played.
1 p.m. – Clayton State vs. Augustana
3:30 p.m. – Colorado Mesa vs. Dowling
7 p.m. – Western Washington vs. Nova Southeastern
9:30 p.m. – Gannon vs. Ashland
On Wednesday, Mar. 27, the semifinals will be played at 7 and 9:30 p.m. The Gannon-Ashland winner will play the Western Washington-Nova Southeastern winner in the 9:30 p.m game. The national championship game will be played on Friday, Mar. 29, at 8 p.m. (Times above are Eastern Time).
NCAA Nuggets
This is the second consecutive year San Antonio has played host to the Elite Eight. It's the third time the Elite Eight has come to town. In addition to last year, the championship was held in San Antonio in 2009
The Eagles are attempting to become the first school to make consecutive appearances in the national title game since Cal Poly Pomona won three consecutive national titles – 2001-2002-2003.
Only one GLIAC team has won a national championship in women's basketball. That came in 2006 when Grand Valley State defeated American International, 58-52 in the title clash.
A GLIAC team has played in the championship game for two straight years. Michigan Tech lost to Clayton State, 69-50 in 2011 and AU lost to Shaw a year ago.
Gannon is the only team in this year's Elite Eight the Eagles have played.
Ashland is one of six top seeds to reach the Elite Eight. Gannon, Clayton State, Colorado Mesa, Western Washington and Nova Southeastern are the others. Dowling is a three seed and Augustana is a six seed. The only team in this field to win a national championship is Clayton State.
The last team from the Midwest Region to win the national championship was Northern Kentucky in 2008.
Dowling leads the nation in scoring defense (47.7 ppg.) and field goal percentage defense (31.0). Dowling upended third-seeded Bentley, 53-51 on a put-back by Danielle Wilson with three seconds left in regulation. The Golden Lions (28-3) are at the Elite Eight for the first time.
This is Nova Southeastern's second trip to the NCAA playoffs and first visit to the Elite Eight. The last time the Sharks (23-8) reached the playoffs was in 2007-08. The school became an NCAA Division II member in 2002-03.
Western Washington (28-3) is ranked fifth in the country. The last time the Vikings reached the Elite Eight was in 2000. Guard Corinn Waltrip scored 29 points in a 75-58 win over Simon Fraser in the regional championship. Waltrip was named the most outstanding player of the regional tournament.
Clayton State is the nation's top-ranked team and the only undefeated team in the country (32-0). This is the ninth consecutive year the Lakers have reached the postseason. Over the last three years, Clayton State is 96-5. Over the last three years, out of 1,000 schools in NCAA Divisions I, II and III, the only school with fewer losses than Clayton State is Baylor.
Augustana (27-6) got to San Antonio by hitting a pair of free throws with 0.7 seconds left to nip Emporia State, 75-74 in the regional title game. Alex Feeney hit those last free throws. She had 24 points in the game and was named the tournament's most outstanding player.
Colorado Mesa (31-1) has won 13 consecutive games. The Mavericks defeated Midwestern State, 69-65 in the regional championship game. Taylor Wagner is in his first season as the head coach of the Mavericks.
The last time the championship game was decided by three points or less was in 2004 when California (Pa.) held off Drury, 75-72.
Streaks and Strings
AU enters Tuesday's game with a 10-game winning streak. That's modest by Ashland standards.
Last year, the Eagles lost their opener and then put together a school record 33-game winning streak. The Eagles opened this season by winning their first 24 games.
Since the start of last season the Eagles are 67-3. The three losses have come to Minnesota State-Mankato in last year's opener, Shaw in last year's NCAA Division II national championship game and at Findlay this season. When AU lost at Findlay, 66-51 on Feb. 14 and that ended a 49-game regular season winning streak for AU. The setback stopped AU's win streak against GLIAC foes at 39 games.
AU has a 43-game home winning streak. This season, Ashland was 20-0 at Kates Gymnasium. In NCAA postseason play, the Eagles are 6-0 at home.
The Eagles have shown a propensity to blitz teams from the outset this season. Against Gannon, Ashland scored the game's first 12 points. At Kates Gymnasium against Findlay, AU took a 20-0 lead in the first 5:14. Against Tiffin on Jan. 26 at Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles had a 17-0 advantage, 4:31 into the game. Finally, at Kates Gymnasium on Feb. 21, against Ohio Dominican, the Eagles had an 11-0 lead with 13:52 left in the first half and led, 20-3 with 9:10 to play before the break.
Point Prevention
Ashland is allowing a GLIAC-low, 54 points per game. Only three times in the last nine games has a team scored more than 49 points against AU.
In the GLIAC Tournament opener against Northern Michigan, Ashland set a record for the fewest points a Sue Ramsey-coached Ashland team has ever allowed (35) . It is the fewest points AU has ever permitted against a GLIAC opponent. It is the fewest points the Eagles have allowed since beating Slippery Rock, 80-34 in the second game of the 1988-89 season. The Eagles limited NMU to 13 field goals. The Wildcats had 17 turnovers and Ashland led in points off of turnovers, 15-3.
In three games at last week's Midwest Regional, the Eagles permitted 57.7 ppg. The three opponents combined to shoot 35.2 percent (69-of-196) from the floor and 28.6 percent (20-of-70) from three-point range.
Eyes On the Eagles
In 20 home dates this season, Ashland averaged 1,173 fans per game. In the three regional games last week, the Eagles didn't draw less than 2,100 fans and averaged 2,437 per game. The regional championship game drew 2,832 fans to Kates Gymnasium. That's the largest crowd to ever watch a women's college basketball game in Ashland. The previous record of 2,644 was set a year ago in the regional championship game against Wisconsin-Parkside.
Tales From the Free Throw Line
Ashland leads the GLIAC in free throw percentage (77.6 percent). In the regional championship game against Wayne State, the Eagles connected on 20-of-24 free throw attempts (83.3 percent). In the second half, AU was on target with 16-of-19 shots (84.2 percent).
The Eagles have shot below 80 percent at the line once in the last five games and only three times in the last 10 games.
AU is the national leader in fewest personal fouls per game (11.8). A team has shot more than 20 free throws against the Eagles twice this season. Seventeen times this year the opposition has shot less than 10 free throws in a game against Ashland.
Numbers of Note
AU has played one game this year decided by less than 10 points. That was the regional championship game against Wayne State. AU won that game by nine points, 72-63.
The Eagles have trailed at halftime twice this season – at Malone (33-32) on Jan. 12, and at Findlay (31-26) on Feb. 14.
AU has defeated four ranked teams this season – Indianapolis (5th), Gannon (15th), Grand Canyon (13th) and Findlay (19th).
This is only the second time in school history the Eagles have enjoyed consecutive 20-win campaigns. From 2003-04 through the 2005-06 season, AU had three consecutive 20-win seasons. The 2003-04 team was 23-8, the 2004-05 team went 20-9 and the 2005-06 unit was 21-11. The 2003-04 and 2005-06 teams went to the NCAA playoffs.
AU enters the Elite Eight ranked second in the nation. Ashland began the year as the nation's top-ranked team. The Eagles haven't been ranked lower than third this season.
The last time AU lost at home was on Jan. 29, 2011, 81-73 to Findlay in overtime. The NCAA Division II record for consecutive victories is 87 by Nebraska-Kearney.
Conference Figures
The Eagles lead the GLIAC in scoring (76.4 ppg.), field goal percentage (47.0), assists per game (18.0), personal fouls per game (11.8), points allowed per game (54.0), opponent field goal percentage (35.7), three-point field goal percentage (26.7) and turnovers per game (12.4).
NCAA Rankings
Ashland is ranked in the nation's Top 25 in a number of statistical categories. Listed below are this week's NCAA rankings.
Assist-Turnover Ratio 1st/1.45
Field Goal Percentage 1st/47.0
Personal Fouls Per Game 1st/11.8
Scoring Margin 1st/22.4
Won-Lost Percentage 2nd/97.1
Assists Per Game 3rd/18.0
Rebound Margin 4th/+10.9
3-Pt. FG Percentage 4th/39.0
Free Throw Percentage 5th/77.6
Turnovers Per Game 5th/12.4
Scoring Offense 7th/76.4
Scoring Defense 10th/54.0
3-Pt. FG Defense 22nd/26.7
Eagles To Watch
Kari Daugherty (Fresno, Ohio/Dayton) has the NCAA Division II record for consecutive double-doubles - 34. The 6-1 senior guard-forward missed eight games this season with a knee injury.
A year ago, Daugherty led the country in rebounding and double-doubles. She was a first team All-America, the NCAA Division II player of the year and the 2012-13 Honda Sports Award NCAA Division II Female Athlete of the Year. She currently leads the GLIAC in scoring (22.4 ppg.) and rebounding (13.6 rpg.). Daugherty is fourth in three-point field goal percentage (41.2), fourth in field goal percentage (53.4), fifth in assist-turnover ratio (1.6) and seventh in assists per game (3.4). The senior is second in the nation in rebounds per game, third in scoring, fourth in double-doubles (22) and 17th in field goal percentage.
Two weeks ago, Daugherty was named the GLIAC player of the year for the second consecutive season. She was also named to the All-GLIAC First Team for the second time. Daugherty is a member of the 2012-13 GLIAC All-Defensive Team and she was named the Outstanding Player of the GLIAC Tournament for the second time.
Last weekend, Daugherty was named the Outstanding Player of the NCAA Midwest Regional for the second consecutive season. She is the Daktronics Midwest Region player of the year for the second straight season and she is a first team all-region choice.
In her AU career, the senior has six games of 20+ rebounds, including a school-record 24 at Lake Erie last season. This season, Daugherty has three, 19-rebound games and seven, 30-point games. She scored a career-high 39 points this year at Malone (Jan. 12).
Daugherty owns the only triple-double in school history. That came last season against Findlay (Jan. 5) when she had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
The senior has been named the GLIAC South Division player of the week five times this season and eight times in her career. Daugherty is fifth in career scoring (1,349 points) at Ashland. Fourth place belongs to Jodi Dobransky with 1,370 points. Daugherty is second in career boards (860). Jackie Mason is first with 937 rebounds.
At last week's regional tournament, Daugherty averaged 26.7 ppg., and 14.0 rpg. She posted three double-doubles. Daugherty has played nine NCAA postseason games in her career and has never failed to register a double-double. A year ago, she was named to the all-tournament team at the Elite Eight. The guard-forward set NCAA Tournament records for rebounds (95) and field goals (56). She scored 148 points, one point shy of the tournament record.
Daugherty is a first team Capital One Academic All-America and is the 2012-13 Capital One Academic All-America of the Year. She is a middle childhood education major.
Daugherty never lost to a GLIAC team in her career.
Senior forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) is second on the team in scoring (14.5 ppg.) and rebounding (9.5 rpg.). Gerbec is ninth in the nation in field goal percentage (55.7) and 13th in double-doubles (13). The senior is second in the GLIAC in field goal percentage and is sixth in rebounding. She is 11th in scoring. Gerbec is a All-GLIAC First Team honoree and earned a spot on the GLIAC All-Defensive Team. She was named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team. Gerbec's been on the GLIAC All-Defensive Team twice in her career.
Last weekend, the senior was named to the all-tournament team at the regional. In three games, she averaged 12.3 ppg. 11.7 ppg., and 2.5 bpg. Gerbec has recorded four consecutive double-doubles. Gerbec is a Daktronics first team all-region selection.
Gerbec has been named the GLIAC South Division player of the week three times this season. Gerbec is one of 15 AU players who has scored over 1,000 points in her career. She is tied for 10th place on AU's career list with 1,208 points (she shares that spot with Darla Plice). Mason is ninth with 1,212 points. Gerbec has 771 career rebounds. That puts her fourth on AU's all-time list. Gail Wasmus is third with 850 rebounds.
Gerbec missed all of last season due to injury. Two years ago she was a first team All-GLIAC choice and an honorable mention All-American. Gerbec is a first team Capital One Academic All-America this year. She is a biochemistry major.
Junior guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) is second in the country in assist-turnover ratio (2.76) and 13th in assists per game (5.3). She is the GLIAC leader in both of those departments. Miller is fourth on the team in scoring (10.6).
Against Tiffin on Feb. 23, Miller set the school, single-game record for assists (15). The previous record of 14 assists was shared by Sara Whitis (1999 vs. Mercyhurst) and Alethea Lamberson (2006 vs. Mars Hill). In her career, Miller has 456 assists. Last week, she became Ashland's career assists leader, passing Whitis (447). Miller has the two highest single-season assist totals in school history – 185 this season and 174 a year ago.
Miller is a member of the 2012-13 GLIAC First Team. She was a second team pick a year ago. Miller is on this year's GLIAC All-Defensive Team – this is her second year on that unit. She was named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team.
Sophomore guard Taylor Woods (Wadsworth, Ohio) is third on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg.). She is 15th in the GLIAC in scoring. Woods is fifth in three-point field goal percentage (41.2), sixth in assists per game (3.6) and seventh in assist-turnover ratio (1.6). She leads the Eagles in triples (66). In the GLIAC championship game, Woods had a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. That is her career high in assists. Woods is a member of the 2012-13 All-GLIAC Second Team.
Last weekend, Woods was named to the Midwest Region All-Tournament Team. She averaged 13.7 ppg., 6.0 rpg., 3.3 apg., and shot 46.4 percent (8-of-14) from three-point distance. In the regional opener against Indianapolis, she had 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.
This is the first time Woods has appeared in the postseason. She missed last year's postseason run due to an injury.
Senior guard Lindsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) has 61 three-point field goals. Tenyak is second in career treys (191) at Ashland. The all-time leader is Karen Bley (202, 1994-97).
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Now in her 26th year as a head coach, AU's Sue Ramsey has taught her players about winning on and off the court. Ramsey is known for upbeat personality and zest for life. Those attributes have been mirrored in her teams throughout her career.
Ramsey is in her 18th year at Ashland. Her record at AU is 321-199 (.617) and her career record as a college head coach is 416-327 (.560). Ramsey is the program's career leader in wins. She was 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. In 2011-12, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes presented her with the Kay Yow Heart of a Champion Award. This past fall, Ramsey was inducted into the Miami (Ohio) Cradle of Coaches.
Last summer, Ramsey was featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines. On that program, she talked about the history of women's college athletics.
Under Ramsey, AU has advanced to the NCAA playoffs four times. No other women's basketball coach at Ashland has taken a team to the NCAA postseason. She has won the only two GLIAC basketball championships (2012, 2013) in school history. A year ago, her Eagles became the first GLIAC team to finish the regular season 19-0.
With Ramsey on the bench, the Eagles have won 20 or more games five times and 30 or more games twice.
It should come as no surprise that AU has two Capital One First Team Academic All-Americas this season. In 2008-09 the Eagles had the third highest cumulative grade point average in the country. In 2009-10, Ashland was fifth in the nation for team grade point average.
Ramsey was the head coach at the University of Dayton for eight years before arriving at Ashland. She was an assistant coach on the Division I level at Cincinnati (1984-86), Miami (1983-84) and Illinois State (1982-83). She began her coaching career at Noblesville (Ind.) High School where she was twice honored as the county coach of the year.
Ramsey's resume as a player is just as impressive as her coaching dossier. She played three years at Indiana University (1974-77) where she was the first woman to receive a basketball scholarship. She played one year at Miami.
The AU head coach is a 1978 Miami graduate. She earned her master's degree from Dayton in 1988.
Ramsey is originally from Bexley, Ohio.
Ramsey is also AU's senior women's administrator and she is an assistant athletic director.
Scouting Gannon (31-4)
The All-Time Series vs. Ashland – Gannon leads, 20-15
At one point, Gannon and Ashland were both in the GLIAC. In the 2007-08 GLIAC Tournament, the Eagles defeated the Golden Knights in Erie, Pa., 70-45. That was Gannon's last season in the GLIAC.
The Golden Knights are ranked seventh in the country. Like AU, they were the number one seed in the region (Atlantic). One difference between the teams is experience. AU has six seniors on the roster. Gannon has one senior and two juniors.
AU has a two-game winning streak against the Golden Knights. Earlier this season in California, the Eagles won, 70-59. Gannon's last win over AU came during 2007-08 regular season, 68-67. The Golden Knights swept the two regular season games that year. In the first meeting, GU won, 75-74.
In the earlier game this year, Daugherty had 29 points, 19 rebounds and four assists. Miller had 12 points. AU led at the half, 32-19. In the first half, Gannon shot 28 percent (7-of-25) from the field.
Jen Papich, a 6-1 junior forward, leads Gannon in scoring (12.5 ppg.). She also pulls down 5.8 rpg. Nettie Blake, a 6-1 sophomore forward, averages 11.3 ppg., and a team-high 7.5 rpg. Last Monday, in a 50-47 win over California (Pa.) in the regional championship game, Blake had 12 points and 16 rebounds. Brittany Batts, a 5-7 sophomore guard, averages 11.1 ppg. Kelley Sundberg, a 5-6 junior guard, averages 5.3 apg., and 1.4 spg. (49 steals). Sundberg scored 11 points against AU in the game this season.
Gannon's head coach is Cleve Wright. He's the program's career leader in wins (233-99). Wright is the longest tenured coach in the program's history. This is his 11th year at GU.
The Golden Knights have won 10 of their last 11 games and bring a three-game winning streak to Texas. Gannon is 12-3 on the road and 3-1 on a neutral court. In Pennsylvania Conference play, the Golden Knights were 20-2. Gannon lost to Bloomsburg, 74-57 in the PSAC Championship Game.
About Ashland University
Ashland University is a private institution located off Interstate 71 in north-central Ohio midway between Cleveland and Columbus. The school was founded in 1878 and has an enrollment of 6,000 students. The school colors are purple and gold.
Dr. Frederick Finks is the AU President and Bill Goldring is the Director of Athletics.
As for notable alumni, Dwight Schar is the Chairman, President and CEO of Northern Virginia Ryan Homes. CNN news anchor Robin Meade is a 1991 graduate. Bon-Moo Koo, a 1972 graduate, is Chairman and CEO of LG Group.
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