Box Score
The city of Boston encountered some troubles with The Big Dig.
The Ashland University women's basketball team ran into a similar problem on Saturday (Jan. 18). Beantown and the Eagles learned the same thing - excavation isn't easy.
The Eagles fell into a huge hole at Kates Gymnasium against Malone and spent all 40 minutes looking up at the Pioneers. Malone won the GLIAC game, 70-53.
Malone and Ashland are tied for first place in the GLIAC South Division at 6-4. The Pioneers are 11-5 and the Eagles are 8-6. This was AU's worst loss at home since falling to Findlay, 71-50 on Feb. 25, 2010.
Five minutes into the game the Eagles trailed, 14-4. It was 18-4 with 13:15 left in the half. At that point, the Eagles were 2-of-13 from the floor.
With 5:50 to go in the half, Malone led, 25-12. At halftime, the Eagles were shooting 22.9 percent (8-of-35) from the floor and were behind, 32-20. That's the first time the Eagles were held to 20 points in the first half since Nov. 12, 2011 when they were trailing, 28-20 against Minnesota State-Mankato at California (Pa.).
Give the Eagles this, they did everything they could to make a push. Defensively, AU was able to get stops in the second half. But without a consistent offense to go with that, mounting a comeback was difficult.
The Eagles cut into the Malone lead and got it down to 10 points, 54-44 with 5:31 left in regulation. But Malone's Deborah Simmers hit a pair of triples from the corner and with 4:27 remaining, the Pioneers had a 60-46 lead. After that, the Eagles got no closer than 11 points.
AU ended the game shooting 29.2 percent (19-of-65) from the floor and 6.7 percent (1-15) from three-point range. That lone triple came from guard Taylor Woods with 11:08 to play in regulation. As usual, the Eagles were fine at the free throw line – they went 14-of-15.
Freshman forward Suzy Wollenhaupt paced the Eagles with a double-double – 17 points and 11 rebounds. She also blocked three shots. Woods and Kelsey Peare had 11 points apiece. McKenzie Miller had 10 rebounds.
Simmers and guard Selana Reale scored 18 points each for Malone. Guard Logan Pastor had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Outside of those shooting miseries, AU's numbers elsewhere weren't that bad. Malone won the battle of the boards, 44-39, but Ashland led in second chance points, 12-6 and in points in the paint, 28-16. The turnovers were nearly even – AU had 13 and Malone 12.
The Eagles will play at Findlay on Thursday (Jan. 23, 6 p.m.).
AU
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