National Championship Preview
Friday, Mar. 29, 2013,
Bill Greehey Arena, San Antonio, Texas, 8 p.m. (Eastern)
Ashland (36-1) vs. Dowling (30-3)
Setting the Scene
For the second consecutive season, the Ashland University Eagles are in the NCAA Division II national title game. A year ago, the Eagles fell to Shaw in overtime, 88-82. This year, the Eagles draw a Dowling team that is making its initial appearance in the Elite Eight.
This is Ashland's fourth trip to the NCAA Division II playoffs. In Elite Eight play, Ashland is 4-1. In NCAA postseason play the last two seasons the Eagles are 10-1. The Eagles are 36-1 this season – that win total is a school record.
Dowling got to the Elite Eight by knocking off third-ranked Bentley in the regional championship game. The Golden Lions are one of the nation's best defensive teams – they lead the nation in fewest points allowed per game (47.8) and opponent field goal percentage (30.8).
A comparison of the teams follows.
AU Dowling
Record 36-1 30-3
Conference Record 22-1 16-1
Regional Seed 1 3
National Rank 2 10
Winning Streak 12 15
Points Per Game 76.1 59.8
Points Per Game Allowed 54.3 47.8
FG Percentage 46.8 41.0
FG Percentage Defense 35.7 30.8
3-PT Percentage 38.6 28.5
3-PT Percentage Defense 27.2 28.3
3-PT FG Per Game 6.6 4.5
3-PT FG Allowed Per Game 5.0 4.5
FT Percentage 77.4 65.7
Rebounds Per Game 42.2 40.3
Rebounds Allowed Per Game 31.2 32.6
Rebound Margin +10.9 +7.7
Assists Per Game 17.9 12.0
Turnovers Per Game 12.5 19.2
Turnovers Forced Per Game 14.7 16.8
Turnover Margin +2.2 -2.4
Assist-Turnover Ratio 1.4 0.6
Steals 236 261
Steals Per Game 6.4 7.9
Blocked Shots 115 184
Blocked Shots Per Game 3.1 5.6
NCAA Numbers
Here's where Ashland ranks in the nation (Top 25 through national semifinals)
Category Rank
Assist-Turnover Ratio 1st – 1.43
Scoring Margin 1st – 21.8
Won-Loss Percentage 1st – 97.3
Personal Fouls Per Game 1st – 11.9
Field Goal Percentage 2nd – 46.8
Assists Per Game 3rd – 17.9
3-PT Field Goal Percentage 4th – 38.6
Rebound Margin 4th – 10.9
Turnovers Per Game 5th – 12.5
FT Percentage 6th – 77.4
Scoring Offense 8th – 76.1
Scoring Defense 11th – 54.3
Here's where Dowling ranks in the nation (Top 25 through national semifinals).
Category Rank
Scoring Defense 1st – 47.8
FG Percentage Defense 1st – 30.8
Blocked Shots 7th – 5.6
Rebound Margin 9th – 7.7
Here are Ashland's top-ranked individuals in the NCAA.
Kari Daugherty - 1st, Double-Doubles – 24
2nd, Rebounds Per Game – 13.8
3rd, Scoring – 22.2
Alyssa Miller - 2nd, Assist-Turnover Ratio – 2.77
17th, Assists Per Game – 5.2
Daiva Gerbec - 7th, FG Percentage – 55.9
13th, Double-Doubles – 15
Taylor Woods - 15th, 3-PT FG Percentage – 40.9
Board Report
Ashland out-rebounded Gannon on Tuesday, 42-26. That +16 figure on the glass is AU's best since a +27 figure against Lake Erie at Kates Gymnasium on Feb. 2. (that's a stretch of 15 games). AU followed that up by out-rebouding Western Washington, 43-35. The Eagles have been out-rebounded only three times this season. The last time that occurred was in the GLIAC championship game against Findlay (Mar. 10). In the two games in San Antonio this week, Ashland has out-rebounded the opposition, 85-61, rolled up a 64-42 edge in points in the paint and has a 22-11 advantage in second chance points.
Going On the Defensive
Gannon scored 63 points against the Eagles on Tuesday and that marks only the fifth time this season a team scored 60 or more points against AU. The Golden Knights shot 42.9 percent from the field. They are the first team to reach the 40 percent plateau since Findlay shot 47.2 percent against AU on Feb. 14 (that's a stretch of 12 games). That's the only game Ashland has lost this season. The most points the Eagles have allowed this season is 68 (vs. Michigan Tech on Mar. 9 in the GLIAC Tournament). AU held Western Washington to a season-low 54 points.
Working Margin
The Eagles have had only one game this year decided by less than 10 points. In the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament championship game on Mar. 18, the Eagles held off Wayne State, 72-63 at Kates Gymnasium.
Rank and File
The Eagles have a 6-0 record against ranked opponents this season. Ashland has wins over Indianapolis (5th), Gannon (15th), Grand Canyon (13th), Findlay (19th), Gannon (7th) and Western Washington (5th).
Dealing With Rejection
The Eagles blocked six shots on Wednesday against Western Washington. That's one rejection shy of the season high (seven vs. Tiffin, Jan. 26). Daugherty had three blocks against the Vikings.
Fabulous Figures
Sophomore guard Taylor Woods (Wadsworth, Ohio) nearly posted the second triple-double in school history on Tuesday against Gannon. Woods had 21 points, 10 rebounds and eight rebounds against Gannon. The only triple-double in school history belongs to senior guard-forward Kari Daugherty (Fresno, Ohio/Dayton), who had 12 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists against Findlay on Jan. 5, 2012.
Woods has emerged as one of the best young players in the region. She missed all of last year's playoff run due to a jaw injury. She missed three games early this season due to injury, but has played 79 out of a possible 80 minutes at this year's Elite Eight.
Tuesday's game was the fifth 20-point performance of the year for Woods. The 10 assists tied her career high (she had 10 vs. Findlay on Mar. 8) and her eight rebounds is one off her career high (nine vs. Indianapolis on Mar. 15).
Dynamic Duo
Daugherty and senior forward Daiva Gerbec will go down as one of the best inside tandems the AU program has ever produced. Before their emergence, the combo of Jackie Mason and Alanna Buurma would rank near the top of that list in the minds of many AU fans. But here's a question that keeps a good portion of the AU faithful dreaming. What could the Eagles have done with these two together on the court on a regular basis?
Gerbec missed all of last season due to injury. Gerbec has played all 37 games this season, but Daugherty has missed eight games with a knee injury. That means the two have been together on the court for 29 games.
Daugherty is averaging 22.2 ppg., and 13.8 rpg. Gerbec averages 14.8 ppg., and 9.4 rpg. In her two seasons at AU, Daugherty has scored 1,388 points and pulled down 891 rebounds. She's fourth in career points. Third place is held by Vicki Schmitz (1,475). AU's all-time leading rebounder is Mason with 937. For her AU career, Daugherty has averaged 21.7 ppg., and 13.9 rpg.
Gerbec has 1,250 career points and 786 career rebounds. Gerbec is in eighth place in career scoring. Seventh place is held by Gweynn Hampel (1,268).
"Kari Daugherty had 15 points and 15 rebounds," recounted Gannon head coach Cleve Wright after Tuesday night's game. It's not just Kari Daugherty. I thought Gerbec played very well. The two of them, their post players, are almost averaging a double-double. They are a smart team, they stay on balance, they know how to not get in foul trouble. They have their hands straight up, they keep their feet on the floor, they don't lunge. Those kids play a lot of minutes, 36 and 38 minutes tonight from your two post players. They got in a little foul trouble in the first half. I think that speaks to their discipline. They're two of the best post players we've seen this year."
Daugherty has played 11 NCAA postseason games in her career and has never failed to post a double-double.
Nothing Free
Western Washington shot 16 free throws on Wednesday. That's the most free throw attempts by an AU opponent since Findlay put up 22 free throws against the Eagles in the GLIAC championship game on Mar. 10. AU leads the country in fewest fouls per game so when a team gets to the free throw line as many times as the Vikings did, that's news. Eighteen times this season the opposition has shot less than 10 free throws against the Eagles.
Both coaches in Wednesday's semifinal game, AU's Sue Ramsey and Western Washington's Carmen Dolfo, talked about how the physical game took a toll on the players.
First Half Strength
AU has trailed at halftime three times this season. The last time that happened was against Gannon on Tuesday when AU was looking at a 31-25 deficit. That's the largest halftime hole the Eagles have encountered this season.
The Eagles have outscored the opposition, 1,448-940 in the first half this season.
Miller Time
Junior guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) has 191 assists this season. That is a school record. Miller owns the two highest single-season assist totals in school history – last year she had 174 assists. For her career, Miller has 462 assists and she has averaged 4.6 apg. Miller is also one of the best defensive players in the region. She is a two-time GLIAC All-Defensive Team pick. Miller was a first team all-conference selection this season.
Triples Update
Senior guard Linsdsay Tenyak (Wadsworth, Ohio) is second in career three-pointers (193) at Ashland. The program's all-time leader is Karen Bley with 202.
Records For Ramsey
The two victories this week in San Antonio gives Ramsey a career record of 418-327 (.561). At Ashland, she is 323-199 (.619). The Women's Basketball Coaches of America (WBCA) will honor Ramsey at the NCAA Division I Final Four for reaching her 400th win this season.
Scouting Dowling
The Golden Lions do not give up easy shots and invading one's personal space is a way of life for Dowling. In their 76-54 win over Augustana in the semifinals, the Golden Lions out-rebounded the South Dakota school, 47-29, allowed Augustana to connect on 9-of-30 three-point attempts (30 percent) and led in points in the paint, 32-14.
Danielle Wilson, a 6-3 senior forward and a transfer from Baylor, averages 17.2 ppg., and 11.1 rebounds. She has 98 blocked shots. Wilson is third in the nation in blocks per game (2.97), fifth in double-doubles (20), sixth in field goal percentage (56.8) and 12th in rebounds per game (11.2). She is the East Coast Conference player of the year, ECC defensive player of the year and was named the most outstanding player of the NCAA East Regional Tournament. Wilson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots against Augustana.
Wilson was no washout at the Division I level. At Baylor, she scored 1,015 points, had 635 rebounds and blocked 249 shots while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. As a junior, she averaged 15.1 ppg., 9.6 rpg., and was named First Team All-Big 12 and was a member of the conference's all-defensive team.
Connie Simmons, a 5-10 senior guard, averages 11.9 ppg., and 9.4 rpg. She scored 24 points and had six rebounds and six steals against Augustana. Christine Verrelle, a 5-8 sophomore guard, averages 7.8 ppg., 5.6 rpg., and 3.0 apg. She pulled down 10 rebounds against Augustana. She was named the most valuable player at the East Coast Conference Tournament.
Gritty Julia Koppl, a 6-1 junior forward from Innsbrook, Austria, averages 6.3 ppg., 4.0 rpg., and has 41 blocked shots.
In the NCAA East Regional championship game, Dowling edged third-ranked Bentley, 53-51 on a put-back by Wilson with just under five seconds left in regulation.
The head coach of the Golden Lions is Joe Pellicane. He's in his ninth year at Dowling. This is his fifth 20-win season at the school. His record on the Dowling bench is 169-94 (.643). This year's team has set a school, single season record for victories.
Up Next
Everything's on the line on Friday. There is no tomorrow.
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