Thursday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m.
Ashland (8-6, 6-4 GLIAC) at Findlay (7-7, 4-6 GLIAC)
Croy Gymnasium, Findlay, Ohio
Saturday, Jan. 25, 1 p.m.
Ashland (8-6, 6-4 GLIAC) at Hillsdale (5-9, 4-6 GLIAC)
Jesse Philips Arena, Hillsdale, Mich.
(Both games will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM 1340 with Matt Brubaker describing the action.)
Setting the Scene
Ashland is on the road this week after playing its last four games at home, finishing the home stand, 2-2. The Eagles came from behind to beat Walsh, 74-60 last Thursday before falling to Malone, 70-53 on Saturday. Ashland is 4-2 on the road this season. Ashland's only loss of last season came on the road at Findlay on Feb. 14, 66-51. AU begins the week tied for first in the GLIAC South Division with Malone.
About the Eagles
The Eagles recorded season highs with 20 assists and eight blocks in their win against Walsh. A large part of their success was the return of senior guard Alyssa Miller, who missed the last six games with a left hand injury. She recorded eight assists and three blocks. The Eagles trailed by four points at halftime and with 15:42 to go, trailed, 41-29. Ashland came back to the tie the game at 45-45 with 11:44 to play thanks to a 16-4 run. During their run, the Eagles scored on seven of their eight possessions as freshman guard Emma Hostetler made two straight threes. She finished with six points and four rebounds. The Eagles shot 16-of-29 (55.2 percent) from the field in the second half and finished 44.1 percent (26-for-59) for the game…the Eagles weren't as fortunate on Saturday against Malone as they had their worst shooting performance of the year against the GLIAC's best defensive team. Malone came into the game allowing 62.1 ppg. The Pioneers held the Eagles to just 29.2 percent (19-for-65) from the field and 1-of-15 (6.7 percent) from beyond the arc. The last time AU was held under 60 points at home was on Feb. 10, 2011 against Grand Valley State, but Ashland won that game, 55-54. Ashland never led in the game and its starting backcourt of Alyssa Miller, Taylor Woods, and McKenzie Miller went a combined 9-for-39 (23.1 percent) from the field…against GLIAC opponents, Ashland is 5-2 in games decided by 10 points or less.
How They Rank
Category GLIAC
Free Throw Percentage --- 80.0% 1st (2nd in nation)
Turnovers/Game --- 13.2 1st (9th in nation)
Assists/Game --- 14.4 3rd
Field Goals Made --- 26.0 3rd
Blocks/Game --- 3.9 4th
Field Goal Percentage --- 43.6% 5th
3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage --- 32.3% 7th
Points/Game --- 70.9 9th
Points Allowed --- 71.0 12th
Opp. 3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage --- 36.4% 15th
Rebounds/Game --- 34.2 15th
Rebounding Margin --- (-5.5) 15th
Offensive Rebounds --- 8.7 16th
Eagles to Watch
Senior guard Alyssa Miller returned to the starting lineup last week and averaged 6.5 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 5.5 apg., and 2.0 bpg. She will need to play in the next 10 consecutive games to qualify among the GLIAC leaders, but currently, her numbers would lead the conference in both minutes (36.0 mpg.) and assists (5.0 apg.). Miller would rank fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2) and 16th in scoring (13.2 ppg.) … Miller recorded her 500th assist against Walsh with 1:21 to play in the game. She is Ashland's all-time leader with 503 in her career and set an AU single-season record with 192 last year…Miller recorded a school-record 15 assists at Tiffin (Feb. 23, 2013)…the Eagles are 87-10 with Miller in the starting lineup during her career.
Junior guard Taylor Woods is the GLIAC leader in minutes played (35.3 mpg.) and the third leading scorer in the conference, averaging 17.7 ppg. She has scored in double figures in 11 consecutive games and 13 of her 14 games this season. She has scored 20 or more points six times this year. Woods is sixth in the league in three-pointers (31) and 16th in three-point field goal percentage (36.5 percent). Woods shoots 81.5 percent from the free throw line, which ranks 14th in the conference…she is averaging 37.8 mpg., over her last four games…she scored 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the three point line in Ashland's comeback win against Walsh…in the upset win against Northern Michigan on Jan. 9, Woods scored 26 points and had five steals, one shy of her career high set against Northwood on Dec. 19, 2011…on the road at NYIT, Woods had her best shooting performance of the season, shooting 69.2 percent (9-of-13) from the field en route to a 21-point performance…at Ferris State, Woods set a new career high with 34 points, 29 of those coming in the second half. She went 10-for-18 from the field and made five three-pointers. She also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a team-high six assists…against Indianapolis on Nov. 17, she set an Ashland single-game record with nine three-pointers, breaking the old record of eight set by Bridget Donovan in 1999 against Mercyhurst.
Sophomore guard McKenzie Miller is the team's fourth leading scorer and third leading rebounder, averaging 11.2 ppg. and 5.6 rpg. The second-year guard ranks 14th in the GLIAC in assists (2.6 apg.) and 19th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4)…Miller recorded her first career double-double coming off the bench against Walsh, scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with five assists. She followed that up with a 10-rebound performance in the loss to Malone…Miller averaged 9.5 ppg., and 10.0 rpg., last week and has grabbed 9.7 rpg., over her last three contests. Miller scored a career-high 17 points in AU's home win against Saginaw Valley State on Dec. 16. In six games without Alyssa Miller, McKenzie averaged 11.3 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and 3.3 apg.
Freshman forward Suzy Wollenhaupt is the team's top rebounder and second best scorer. On offense, she ranks sixth in the GLIAC in scoring (16.9 ppg.), seventh in free throw percentage (83.3 percent) and 15th in field goal percentage (47.3 percent). She has made 86 field goals this season, third most in the conference. Defensively, she is third in the GLIAC in blocks (30) and fifth in rebounding (7.9 rpg.)…against Walsh, Wollenhaupt scored 16 of her team-high 21 points in the final 4:43. She recorded her third career double-double against Malone as she grabbed 17 points and 11 rebounds. Her other two double-doubles came against NYIT on Dec. 21 and Lake Superior State on Jan. 4…against GLIAC competition, she is averaging 19.3 ppg., 8.4 rpg., and shooting 47.7 percent (71-of-149) from the field.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ramsey is in her 19th year at Ashland. Her record at Ashland is 332-205 (.618) and her career record as a college head is 427-333 (.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. Findlay: 20-15
Ramsey vs. Hillsdale: 17-20
About Findlay (7-7, 4-6 GLIAC)
Findlay lost its top three scorers from a team that went 24-6 last season and made it to the NCAA Tournament before falling in the first round to Wayne State, 63-58. The Oilers were selected to finish second in the GLIAC South Division in the preseason and started their season 4-0, but have gone 2-5 since Dec. 21. Findlay lost at Ohio Dominican last Thursday, 79-72 but won 69-66 at Tiffin on Saturday…on average, the Oilers take the most shots in the conference. They take 61.6 field goal attempts and 24.8 three-point field goal attempts per game, and also lead the GLIAC in assists (15.1 apg.) They rank second in the league in made threes (7.7) and are fifth in scoring (72.1 ppg.). On the defensive side, this game is a matchup of the two teams that have struggled on the glass. Findlay is last in the GLIAC in rebounding (30.9 rpg.) and rebounding margin (-10.5). The Oilers also are 16th in the conference in opponent field goal percentage (44.9 percent) and three-point field goal percentage (37.8 percent).
Sophomore forward Margaret Wuebker is the team's top scorer and rebounder, averaging 12.2 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. Wuebker is eighth in the GLIAC in field goal percentage (52.9 percent) and 22nd in scoring…she has scored in double figures in eight of her last nine games. During that stretch, she has averaged 13.6 ppg., while shooting 55.9 percent from the field and grabbing 6.2 rpg.
Junior forward Lacey Kessler has played in 13 games and has averaged 16.6 mpg., and is the team's second leading scorer and rebounder. She is scoring 10.5 ppg., and averaging 3.2 rpg. Kessler is seventh in the GLIAC with 27 steals and ranks 19th in field goal percentage (44.4 percent)…Kessler is averaging 6.4 ppg. over her last five games and 7.3 ppg. in the month of January.
Head coach Jim Wiedie is in his first season as the Findlay head coach. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach for the Oilers. Prior to his time at Findlay, he was the head coach at Indiana State from 2000-10 and he left there as the school's all-time leader in victories with 166.
Eagles-Oilers
Ashland leads the all-time series with Findlay, 22-15 and went 2-1 against the Oilers last season. Ashland won both times at home, winning in the regular season, 72-41 and then in the GLIAC championship game, 68-49. In their regular season win, the Eagles scored the game's first 20 points and led at halftime, 43-20. All five starters scored in double figures as Alyssa Miller scored 14 points and handed out six assists. In its 66-51 loss on the road, Ashland shot 20-of-59 (33.9 percent) from the field and were outscored in the paint, 40-22. Both Alyssa Miller and Woods scored eight points and dished out three assists.
About Hillsdale (5-9, 4-6 GLIAC)
Hillsdale comes into this weekend winners of its last two games at home. The Chargers lost their first three contests at home, but defeated Saginaw Valley State on Jan. 11, 83-78 then followed that up with a 20-point win, 73-53 against Tiffin last Thursday…the Chargers rank third in the GLIAC when it comes to free throw conversions and attempts, making 17.1 a game and shooting 24.6 a game. They rank fifth in three-point field goal percentage (34.6 percent), ninth in field goal percentage (40 percent), and 11th in scoring (69.4 ppg.). Hillsdale's defense has been tough to figure out this season, as it ranks second in blocks (4.6 bpg.) and sixth in opponent field goal percentage (38.9 percent), but is 15th in scoring defense (71.6 ppg.). Hillsdale also commits the most fouls in the GLIAC. The Chargers are called for 23.6 fouls a game.
Junior forward Megan Fogt is the top rebounder in the country, grabbing 15.1 rpg. She has pulled down 212 rebounds in her first 14 games this season. To put this number into perspective, Kari Daugherty grabbed 210 rebounds in her first 14 games of last season, as she went on to lead the GLIAC and finish second in the country in rebounding. Fogt is second in the conference in scoring, putting up 18.6 ppg., and ranks fifth in field goal percentage (55.5 percent). Fogt has recorded 11 double-doubles and has scored in double figures in every game this year….Fogt grabbed a career-high 27 rebounds against McKendree on Nov. 22, 11 of them coming on the offensive glass.
Fogt's counterpart down low is senior forward Angela Bisaro. She is averaging 6.7 ppg., and grabbing 4.6 rpg while shooting 46.6 percent from the floor. Bisaro ranks seventh in the GLIAC in blocks (18)…Bisaro has scored a season-best 15 points twice and grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds against Saginaw Valley State on Jan. 11.
Head coach Claudette Charney begins her 12th year at Hillsdale and is the GLIAC's all-time wins leader with 510. Last season, Charney became just the 11th women's basketball coach in NCAA Division II history to win 500 games and is the first coach in the history of the GLIAC to do so. She begins this season with a career winning percentage of .637.
Eagles-Chargers
Ashland leads the all-time series with Hillsdale, 22-21. Ashland has won four straight meetings and five of the last six. Ashland defeated the Chargers at home last year, 80-51 and then dominated on the road, 83-57. In the home win, Ashland shot 46.8 percent from the field as all five starters scored in double figures. Daiva Gerbec led AU with 20 points and 15 rebounds and helped lead the Eagles to a 46-21 edge on the boards. On the road, Woods, Gerbec, and Alyssa Miller outscored the Chargers by themselves, 63-57. Woods led AU with 23 points and connected on 5-of-8 from the three-point line, Gerbec finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, and Alyssa Miller finished with 20 points on 4-of-4 from deep. In the two games against the Eagles last year, Hillsdale shot a perfect 15-for-15 from the free throw line…the last time the Chargers got the best of Ashland came back on Dec. 19, 2010, when Hillsdale won 80-77. Ashland hasn't lost to Hillsdale on the road since the 2008-09 season, falling 81-55.
Up Next
Next week, Ashland returns to Kates Gymnasium for two home games against Ohio Dominican (Jan. 30, 5:30 p.m.) and Tiffin (Feb. 1, 1 p.m.).
AU
WBB/MB
