Thursday, Jan. 30, 5:30 p.m.
Ohio Dominican (7-9, 4-8 GLIAC) at Ashland (9-7, 7-5 GLIAC)
Kates Gymnasium, Ashland, Ohio
Saturday, Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
Tiffin (5-10, 2-9 GLIAC) at Ashland (9-7, 7-5 GLIAC)
Kates Gymnasium, Ashland, Ohio
Monday, Feb. 3, 6 p.m.
Ashland (9-7, 7-5 GLIAC) at Lake Erie (7-11, 2-10 GLIAC)
Jerome T. Osborne Family Athletic & Wellness Center, Painesville, Ohio
(All three games will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM 1340 with Matt Brubaker on the call.)
Setting the Scene
Ashland returns home to Kates Gymnasium for a weekend series with Ohio Dominican and Tiffin before going on the road to Lake Erie College on Monday. The Eagles finished last weekend by defeating Findlay, 80-55 and losing at Hillsdale, 82-72. Ashland is 4-4 at home this year and 5-3 on the road and has split its last five weekend series in the conference. Ashland is 26-2 all-time against the next three opponents.
About the Eagles
The Eagles went 30-for-51 (58.8 percent) from the field and 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) from the three-point line against Findlay and overcame a season-worst 23 turnovers. Ashland led by nine at halftime and committed 16 turnovers in the first half. In the second half, AU went 18-for-28 (64.3 percent) from the floor and made eight threes. Ashland out-rebounded the Oilers, 45-34. It was just the third time this season the Eagles had the advantage on the glass as they out-rebounded Ferris State, 35-28 on Dec. 7 and Lake Superior State, 38-37 on Jan. 4. AU is 3-0 when out-rebounding its opponent…in the loss to Hillsdale the Eagles had five players score in double figures. Freshman guard Kelsey Peare set a new career high with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting. The Eagles trailed, 36-27 at halftime and cut the lead to 48-45 with 11:55 to play, but never got closer than six points. AU was outscored in the paint, 40-24 and in second chance points, 20-8. The nation's leading rebounder, Megan Fogt, helped lead the Chargers to a 51-34 edge on the boards as she totaled 16 points and 22 rebounds. The Eagles forced 21 turnovers and led, 18-7 in points off of turnovers…in eight games in the month of January, Ashland has gone 4-4, shooting 40.9 percent from the field and scoring 65.2 ppg. In eight games in the months of November and December, the Eagles shot 46.7 percent from the field and averaged 77.9 ppg…Ashland is shooting better from the field and from the three-point line on the road than at home. On the road, the Eagles are shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line compared to 42.5 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from deep at Kates Gymnasium.
How They Rank
Category GLIAC
Free Throw Percentage --- 79.1% 1st (2nd in nation)
Turnovers/Game --- 13.8 2nd (16th in nation)
Assists/Game --- 14.5 2nd
Field Goals Made --- 26.1 3rd
Blocks/Game --- 4.1 4th
Field Goal Percentage --- 43.9% 4th
Points/Game --- 71.6 5th
3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage --- 33.9% 6th
Points Allowed --- 70.7 11th
Rebounding Margin --- (-5.2) 12th
Opp. 3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage --- 35.0% 15th
Rebounds/Game --- 34.9 15th
Offensive Rebounds --- 8.6 16th
Eagles to Watch
Senior guard Alyssa Miller has started the last four games since returning to the lineup after an injury. Miller is averaging 9.5 ppg., 5.8 rpg., and 5.5 apg., in those four games. She leads the GLIAC in both minutes (36.1 mpg.) and assists (5.1 apg.). Miller ranks fifth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.1) and 17th in scoring (13.1 ppg.) … Miller recorded her 500th assist against Walsh on Jan. 16. She is Ashland's all-time leader with 514 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 88-11 with Miller in the starting lineup during her career.
Junior guard Taylor Woods is second in the GLIAC in three pointers, as she has connected on 38 this season. She ranks 10th in three-point field goal percentage (38.8 percent), fifth in scoring (17.1 ppg.), and 23rd in assists (2.4 apg.). Woods scored 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting and seven three-pointers against Findlay last Thursday, but was held scoreless against Hillsdale in 23 minutes of action. It was the first time she was held scoreless since Jan. 19, 2012 against Saginaw Valley State, when she played in 17 minutes and went 0-for-2 from the field…Woods scored 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the three point line in Ashland's comeback win against Walsh on Jan. 16…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. Woods has scored in double figures in 13 of her 15 games this season and has scored 20 or more points seven times this year.
Sophomore guard McKenzie Miller is the team's fourth leading scorer and third leading rebounder, averaging 10.9 ppg., and 5.5 rpg. The second-year guard ranks 20th in the GLIAC in assists (2.5 apg.) and assist-turnover ratio (1.5), while ranking 23rd in the conference in rebounding…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 on Jan. 18…Miller is averaging 8.8 ppg., and 7.3 rpg., over her last four games. Miller scored a career-high 17 points in the home win against Saginaw Valley State on Dec. 16. In six games without Alyssa Miller, McKenzie Miller 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 (16.7 ppg.), seventh in free throw percentage (83 percent) and 17th in field goal percentage (48.3 percent). She has made 97 field goals this season, third most in the conference. Defensively, she leads the GLIAC in blocks (39) and is fifth in rebounding (7.8 rpg.)…against GLIAC competition she is averaging 18.6 ppg., 8.1 rpg., and 2.9 bpg., while shooting 48.8 percent (82-of-168) from the field…against Findlay, Wollenhaupt nearly recorded the second triple double in program history, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while grabbing 10 rebounds and recording a career-high seven blocks. Wollenhaupt fouled out of both games last week but still averaged 15.0 ppg., 6.5 rpg. and shot 11-for-19 from the floor (57.9 percent). She has recorded two or more blocks in 13 straight games and has four double-doubles on the season.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ramsey is in her 19th year at Ashland. Her record at Ashland is 333-206 (.618) and her career record as a college head is 428-334 (.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. Ohio Dominican: 6-0
Ramsey vs. Tiffin: 15-1
Ramsey vs. Lake Erie: 7-0
About Ohio Dominican (7-9, 4-8 GLIAC)
The Panthers come to Kates Gymnasium winners of three of their last four games and are 3-1 against the GLIAC South, suffering their only loss last Saturday to Malone, 60-45. The Panthers are 3-5 on the road this season and are 1-5 outside of Columbus against conference opponents. The Panthers pride themselves on defense as they are the best rebounding team in the league, grabbing 41.7 rpg. The Panthers posted a season-high 56 boards against Findlay on Jan. 16. They are second in the GLIAC in scoring defense (63.8 ppg.), opponent field goal percentage (38.1 percent), and opponent three-point field goal percentage (28.1 percent). Despite its defensive success, ODU is still looking for an identity on offense. The Panthers rank last in the GLIAC in three-point field goal percentage (24.2 percent), 14th in scoring (62.1 ppg.), field goal percentage (38 percent) and turnovers (18.4 tpg.). The Panthers lead the GLIAC in offensive rebounds (14.0 rpg.) and are a good free throw shooting team, ranking sixth in the league, shooting 74.3 percent.
Junior guard Kacee Hockenberry is making her 67th consecutive start for the Panthers and leads the team in scoring, putting up 16.0 ppg. That figure ranks eighth in the GLIAC and she also ranks eighth in free throw percentage (82.6 percent). The veteran guard is fourth in the conference in made field goals with 92. Before her two-point performance against Malone last Saturday, Hockenberry was averaging 21.8 ppg., in her previous four games…she scored a career-high 29 points against Findlay, making 8-of-15 from the field and 12-of-13 at the free throw line. She also grabbed five rebounds and dished out seven assists…Hockenberry has scored in double figures in 14 games this year and 42 times during her career. She has posted 20 or more points four times this season and nine times in her career.
For the second consecutive game, the Eagles will have to go up against one of the best individual rebounders in the GLIAC. Sophomore forward Melissa Scherpenberg is third in the conference in rebounding (9.9 rpg.) and has grabbed 158 on the season. She also ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds, pulling down 58…Scherpenberg has six double-digit rebound games this season and 19 in her career. Her career high is 18 rebounds, set twice last season and her season high this year came at Findlay, where she had 16…she scored a season-high 20 points at Wayne State on Dec. 7, on 6-of-11 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 marksmanship at the foul line. She has scored in double figures four times this season and 15 times over her career.
Ohio Dominican's head coach is no stranger to Kates Gymnasium. Lynsey Warren is in her second year at the helm of the Panthers after leading them to an 11-15 record last year. The Panthers finished the season winning six of their last seven games. Warren returns to Kates Gymnasium as a coach, but excelled as a player in both basketball and volleyball at Ashland. As a member of the basketball team, she scored 803 points in her career and earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors as a senior. In volleyball, Warren was a two-time All-American and was a member of a team that made it to the Elite Eight in 2006.
Eagles-Panthers
Ashland leads the all-time series with Ohio Dominican, 14-1 and the Eagles have won seven in a row in the series. The only ODU win in the series came back in the 1984-85 season, when the Panthers won, 72-58 in Columbus. Last year, the Eagles took two from the Panthers, winning 83-46 at Ohio Dominican and 62-49 at home. In the first game in Columbus, AU out-rebounded ODU, 48-22 and outscored the Panthers in the paint, 36-16. Alyssa Miller and Woods both scored 15 points in that game. At home, the Eagles saw the return of Kari Daugherty to the starting lineup. Daugherty finished the game with 18 points in 21 minutes. Ashland was out-rebounded for the just the second time all year, 37-35. The Panthers scored 32 of their 49 points in the paint. Woods had 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
About Tiffin (5-10, 2-9 GLIAC)
The Dragons are a very young team, sporting a roster that has 10 underclassmen and two seniors. Tiffin has lost three straight games and is 1-7 on the road this season. Tiffin's last win came on Jan. 11, against Lake Superior State, 54-44. Offensively, Tiffin leads the GLIAC in free throw attempts, getting to the line 26.1 times per game. Tiffin shoots 71.6 percent from the stripe, ranking eighth in the conference. The Dragons have struggled from the field, shooting 38.4 percent as a team and are scoring just 66.3 ppg. Both of those figures rank 13th in the GLIAC. They do a good job on the offensive glass, pulling down 12.9 rpg. Defensively, Tiffin is 15th in both scoring defense (71.3 ppg.) and opponent field goal percentage (42.6 percent). The Dragons rank eighth in the GLIAC in rebounding (38.9 rpg.) and rebounding margin (1.3).
Senior guard Karli Mast is the Dragons' best scorer, averaging 10.5 ppg. The senior from Berlin, Ohio, ranks ninth in the GLIAC in three-pointers, connecting on 30 this season and is 16th in the league in three-point field goal percentage (35.7 percent)…Mast scored a season-high 25 points at Michigan Tech on Jan. 4, going 8-for-16 from the field and made a season-best six triples…Mast has scored in double figures seven times this season.
Down low is senior forward Jillian Adams, who is the team's second best rebounder and third leading scorer. Adams is grabbing 4.3 rpg., and scoring 8.2 ppg., this season. Adams ranks 11th in the GLIAC in offensive rebounds (31)…she had season highs in points and rebounds at Grand Valley State on Dec. 15, posting 13 points and pulling down eight rebounds.
Making a sudden impact in the post is freshman center Bre Nauman. The rookie post player is the team's second leading scorer (9.7 ppg.) and top rebounder (6.5 rpg.). Nauman is 10th in the GLIAC in rebounding and 14th in field goal percentage (46.9 percent)…the freshman has scored in double figures six times with a career-high 22 points coming against Northwood on Jan. 9. Nauman posted the first double-double of her career against Wayne State on Dec. 5, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
Pam Oswald begins her seventh season as the head coach at Tiffin. She comes into this weekend with 78 career wins as Tiffin's head coach, needing one more to take over sole possession of second place all-time at the school. Oswald led the Dragons to a school-record 21-win season in 2011-12 and a second place finish in the GLIAC South Division. Oswald spent three years at Kent State as an assistant coach from 2001-04 and before that, was an assistant coach at her alma mater, Berlin Hiland High School, where she helped guide them to a state title in 2000.
Eagles-Dragons
Ashland leads the all-time series with Tiffin, 15-1, suffering its only loss on Feb. 5, 2011 at Tiffin, 71-54. The Eagles dominated the Dragons last year, winning by an average margin of 35.5 ppg. Ashland won at home on Jan. 26, 87-47 then defeated the Dragons on their home floor, 77-46 on Feb. 23. In the home contest, AU committed just eight turnovers as all five starters scored in double figures. The Eagles led, 45-20 at halftime and didn't let up after the break. Ashland shot 15-of-25 from the field in the second half. Woods led Ashland with 22 points and Alyssa Miller chipped in with 13. At Tiffin, Alyssa Miller had 10 points and set a school record with 15 assists, two more than the entire Tiffin roster. The Eagles forced 23 turnovers in the game and held a 27-13 advantage in points off of turnovers. Daugherty had 28 points and Daiva Gerbec had 19 points and 18 rebounds.
About Lake Erie (7-11, 2-10 GLIAC)
Lake Erie begins this weekend with three straight home games. They are a surprising 1-6 at home this season, but 5-5 on the road. The Storm has lost five of its last six games with the lone win in that stretch coming at Hillsdale last Thursday, 62-54. LEC is struggling on the offensive side of the floor this year as no player on the roster is scoring in double figures. The Storm is 14th in the GLIAC in three-point field goal percentage (28.4 percent), 15th in scoring (60.6 ppg.) and turnovers (18.9 tpg.) and 16th in field goal percentage (34.2 percent) and free throw percentage (65.9 percent). Lake Erie does a good job grabbing offensive rebounds, averaging 13.7 rpg., which ranks second in the conference. Defensively, the Storm ranks second in the conference in thefts, averaging 10.9 spg. LEC is sixth in scoring defense (65.4 ppg.).
Junior guard Jackie Murray is the team's leader in points and assists, averaging 9.7 ppg., and 2.6 apg. Murray has started all 18 games this season and is the GLIAC leader in three-pointers, making 42. On Nov. 9 at Davis & Elkins, Murray made 7-of-11 from deep, scoring a season-high 23 points…she has scored in double figures in eight games this season.
Sophomore center Kaeding Skelton has made 18 starts this season, averaging 6.9 ppg., and is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 5.3 rpg. Skelton is 24th in the GLIAC in rebounding and fifth in offensive rebounds (43)…Skelton posted a double-double against Ohio Valley on Nov. 21, scoring 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds.
Bob Booher is in his ninth season as Lake Erie's head coach. His 87 wins are first in program history. Before Lake Erie joined the GLIAC for the 2010-11 season, Booher was named the 2009-10 National Division II Independent Coach of the Year. Lake Erie finished third in the GLIAC South Division with a 10-9 record in 2011-12.
Eagles-Storm
Ashland leads the all-time series with Lake Erie, 7-0. In two games last season, Ashland won at home, 84-42 on Feb. 2 then concluded the regular season with an 80-54 triumph at Lake Erie. In the season's first meeting, the Eagles led 44-18 at halftime and held the Storm to 25.4 percent shooting. Ashland dominated the glass, out-rebounding Lake Erie, 57-30. Woods scored 16 points to lead the Eagles. Murray had 10 points for the Storm. In the regular season finale a month later, Ashland won despite the two teams combining for 39 turnovers. The Eagles held a 12-5 edge in second chance points and outscored the Storm in the paint, 26-14. Two years ago, Daugherty set the school single game record for rebounds, grabbing 24 against the Storm while scoring 30 points.
Up Next
Ashland continues a five-games-in-10-day stretch as round two of GLIAC South Division play begins. The Eagles will be on the road at Walsh on Thursday (Feb. 6) and will play at Malone on Saturday (Feb. 8).
AU
WBB/MB
