Thursday, Feb. 6, 5:30 p.m.
Ashland (11-8, 9-6 GLIAC) at Walsh (7-13, 3-11 GLIAC)
Alumni Arena, North Canton, Ohio
Saturday, Feb. 8, 1 p.m.
Ashland (11-8, 9-6 GLIAC) at Malone (14-7, 9-6 GLIAC)
Osborne Hall, Canton, Ohio
(Both games will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM 1340 with Matt Brubaker describing the action.)
Setting the Scene
Ashland is in the middle of its toughest stretch of the season, playing five games over a 10-day period. The Eagles won two of their three games last week, winning at home on Thursday over Ohio Dominican, 75-61 and on Monday at Lake Erie, 63-48. They dropped a home contest against Tiffin on Saturday, 83-80. Ashland begins the second leg of GLIAC South Division play at Walsh and Malone this week, tied for first place in the division with Malone. The Eagles defeated Walsh on Jan. 16, 73-64, but lost to Malone, 70-53 on Jan. 18. AU is 4-3 against the GLIAC South Division this year and has alternated wins and losses in nine consecutive games.
About the Eagles
Against Ohio Dominican, the Eagles led the entire game thanks to a 13-0 start. Ashland went 27-for-59 (45.8 percent) from the field and 7-of-18 (38.9 percent) from the three-point line. Three players scored in double figures and the team forced 18 turnovers, leading to 22 points. Freshman guard Kelsey Peare tallied a career-high five assists and junior guard Melanie Poorman came off the bench to grab six rebounds…in the loss to the Dragons, Ashland struggled on defense. They were outrebounded, 38-36 and surrendered 13 offensive boards, which led to a 16-7 deficit in second chance points. Tiffin made 10 triples in the game, seven of them coming from Karli Mast, who made the go-ahead three to give the Dragons a 79-77 lead. There were seven ties and nine lead changes…at Lake Erie, the Eagles overcame sloppy play and poor shooting on the offensive side, but they turned up their defensive pressure in the 15-point victory. Ashland had its best defensive performance against a GLIAC opponent this year, holding the Storm to 48 points. It was the best defensive effort since Nov. 30 when the Eagles allowed just 47 points to Mercyhurst. Ashland grabbed its second-most rebounds of the year against the Storm, outrebounding Lake Erie, 44-43. The Eagles have outrebounded four teams this season and are 4-0 in those games, all of which have come on the road. The other three times Ashland has had an advantage on the glass came against Findlay, 45-34 on Jan. 23, Ferris State, 35-28 on Dec. 7, and Lake Superior State, 38-37 on Jan. 4. The Eagles committed 19 turnovers in the game, their most since they committed 23 on the road at Findlay, and shot just 39.2 percent from the field, their lowest percentage in a win this season…Ashland is 8-4 when scoring 70 or more points and is 7-2 when giving up less than 70 points this season. When giving up more than 70 points, AU is just 4-6.
How They Rank
Category GLIAC
Free Throw Percentage --- 79.2% 1st (3rd in nation)
Turnovers/Game --- 14.1 2nd (19th in nation)
Assists/Game --- 14.6 2nd
Field Goals Made --- 25.7 3rd
Blocks/Game --- 4.5 3rd
Field Goal Percentage --- 43.8% 4th
3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage --- 34.2% 5th
Points/Game --- 71.7 6th
Points Allowed --- 69.6 11th
Rebounding Margin --- (-4.8) 13th
Opp. 3-Pt. Field Goal Percentage --- 35.1% 15th
Rebounds/Game --- 35.6 15th
Offensive Rebounds --- 8.5 16th
Eagles to Watch
Senior guard Alyssa Miller returned from a hand injury to begin GLIAC South Division play on Jan. 16 against Walsh. In seven games since returning, she is averaging 11.7 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 5.4 apg., and 1.6 bpg. In the six games she played before her injury, she averaged 15.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 4.8 apg., and 0.8 bpg. Her numbers don't rank among the GLIAC leaders since she hasn't played in 75 percent of the team's games, but she would lead the GLIAC in both minutes (36.1 mpg.) and assists (5.2 apg.)…Miller recorded her 500th assist against Walsh on Jan. 16. She is Ashland's all-time leader with 530 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 90-12 with Miller in the starting lineup during her career…Miller is 36 points away from 1,000 in her career…she scored 23 points against Ohio Dominican last Thursday on a season-high five three pointers…Miller recorded a season-high nine assists against Tiffin on Saturday…in her last three games against Tiffin she has 31 assists…in her career, Miller has played in 98 games where the Eagles emerged victorious.
Junior guard Taylor Woods is fourth in the GLIAC in three pointers, connecting on 44. She ranks ninth in both three-point field goal percentage (38.6 percent) and free throw percentage (81.3 percent), 10th in scoring (16.2 ppg.), and 23rd in assists (2.3 apg.)… Woods scored 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting with seven threes against Findlay on Jan. 23…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, Woods 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 16 of her 19 games this season and has scored 20 or more points seven times this year. She has made two or more threes in a game 10 times.
Sophomore guard McKenzie Miller is the team's fourth leading scorer and third leading rebounder, averaging 10.6 ppg., and 5.2 rpg. The sophomore ranks 21st in the GLIAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), 25th in assists (2.2 apg.), and 29th in rebounding…Two of Miller's best games this season have come off of the bench. She scored a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting (7-for-7 at the free throw line) in AU's win at Lake Erie on Monday and recorded her first career double-double against Walsh, scoring 13 points and grabbing a career-high 10 rebounds to go along with five assists. Miller is averaging 10.0 ppg., and 5.3 rpg., in four games off the bench this season. In six games without Alyssa Miller, McKenzie Miller averaged 11.3 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and 3.3 apg.
Sophomore guard Jamie Sobczak has started the last three games and is averaging 7.7 rpg., in those three contests. She is averaging 18.2 mpg., in her last five games…she grabbed seven rebounds and dished out a career-high four assists against Ohio Dominican on Thursday and grabbed a career-high nine rebounds on the road at Lake Erie.
Freshman forward Suzy Wollenhaupt is the team's top scorer and rebounder. She ranks fourth in the GLIAC in scoring (17.4 ppg.), seventh in free throw percentage (83.6 percent) and 11th in field goal percentage (50 percent). The rookie has made 117 field goals this season, third in the conference. Defensively, she is second in the GLIAC in blocks (47) and is fifth in rebounding (8.2 rpg.). Wollenhaupt is 14th in the country in rejections per game (2.50)…in two games in February, Wollenhaupt is averaging 19.5 ppg., on 55 percent shooting from the field and is grabbing 11.0 rpg.…in the home loss to Tiffin, Wollenhaupt tied her career high with 29 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field and 13-of-15 from the free throw line…against Findlay, Wollenhaupt nearly recorded the second-ever triple double in program history, scoring 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while pulling in 10 rebounds and recording a career-high seven blocks. She has recorded two or more blocks in 16 straight games and has five double-doubles.
Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ramsey is in her 19th year at Ashland. Her record at Ashland is 335-207 (.618) and her career record as a college head is 430-335 (.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. Walsh: 6-1
Ramsey vs. Malone: 2-1
About Walsh (7-13, 3-11 GLIAC)
The Cavaliers enter the rematch with the Eagles 2-9 over their last 11 games and are 4-5 at home. Despite their recent struggles, they topped Malone on Monday, 82-75, as they shot 9-of-18 from behind the arc and made 23-of-28 attempts at the foul line. Walsh nearly took out the hottest team in the GLIAC South on Saturday, falling to Hillsdale, 106-105 in four overtimes. At the end of regulation, the game was tied at 66. The Cavaliers shot 36-of-98 in that game and couldn't find any answer for Megan Fogt, the nation's leading rebounder. Fogt grabbed 24 rebounds, 14 offensive, and scored 41 points…in the game against Hillsdale, the two teams combined for the most points ever in a GLIAC game (211), breaking the old record of 207 between Ashland and Grand Valley State in 1997. That game was a three-overtime affair. Walsh also broke Ashland's record for the most points ever scored by the losing team in a GLIAC game…the Cavaliers come into this weekend putting up the most shots in the league, averaging 62.5 attempts a game and shooting 39.1 percent from the field, 11th in the conference. The Cavaliers are third in scoring (72.0 ppg.), assists (14.4 apg.) and in made threes (6.6). On the defensive end, Walsh is third in the league in steals (10.4 spg.)…Walsh's top four scorers all average at least 5.0 rpg.
Sophomore guard Kelsey Funderburgh is the team's top scorer and ranks 12th in the conference, scoring 14.6 ppg. She is second the GLIAC in three-pointers (47) and ranks 23rd in the league in three-point field goal percentage (30.3 percent). Defensively, she is one of the best in terms of steals, ranking fifth with 40 thefts…in the loss to Hillsdale on Saturday, Funderburgh set career highs in points (33) and triples (9)…she scored 29 points and made six threes at Michigan Tech on Dec. 7.
Senior forward Tara Gallupe has started eight of the last 10 games and is averaging 22.5 mpg., and 13.3 ppg. in those eight games. She is the team's second leading scorer, putting up 12.3 ppg., which is 22nd in the GLIAC and ranks 10th in field goal percentage (50.3 percent). Gallupe also ranks 17th in free throw percentage (78 percent)…Gallupe scored a season-high 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field on Dec. 12 against Northwood.
Junior forward Whitney Dabbelt is sixth in the GLIAC in rebounding, averaging 7.4 rpg. She has dominated the offensive glass this year, grabbing 64 boards, which ranks fourth in the conference. Dabbelt has also become a good shot blocker, ranking 20th in the league (11 blocks)…her best game of the year came against Saint Joseph's (Ind.) where she recorded a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds…in each of her four games scoring in double figures, she has grabbed at least 10 rebounds. Her best rebounding game came at Lake Superior State when she posted 13 boards.
Maria Marchesano is in her first year at Walsh after spending the last two years as the head coach at Urbana. She is the eighth head coach in program history. She took over an Urbana team that was 2-8 in the middle of the 2011-12 season and helped turn the team around that season, going 12-7 after being named interim head coach, including a 9-1 mark at home.
Eagles-Cavaliers
Ashland leads the all-time series with Walsh, 8-5. Ashland has won the last five meetings against the Cavaliers and hasn't lost since the 2002-03 season, 65-61. In the first meeting of the season, the Eagles recorded a season-high 20 assists in their comeback effort. Alyssa Miller made her return after missing six games and finished with 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. The Eagles shot 16-of-29 (55.2 percent) from the field in the second half and finished at 44.1 percent (26-for-59) for the game.
Last year the Eagles and Cavaliers played for the first time as conference opponents and the Eagles won both games. In the first game on the road, Ashland led 41-19 at halftime and finished the game with only four turnovers on their way to a 79-53 win. The Eagles scored 20 points off of 21 Cavalier turnovers and out-rebounded Walsh, 50-39. Ashley Dorner had a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, eight on the offensive glass. At Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles were victorious, 76-58 as the team shot 28-of-57 from the field (49.1 percent) and four players scored in double figures. Daiva Gerbec led AU with 23 points and 15 rebounds, Alyssa Miller had 10 points, four assists, two blocks, and two steals, and Woods finished with 13 points and four rebounds. The Eagles held a 20-9 advantage in points off of turnovers and a 14-2 edge in second chance points.
About Malone (14-7, 9-6 GLIAC)
The Pioneers are at home this weekend after losing two of their three games last week. Before that losing skid the Pioneers had won six straight games by an average margin of 11.0 ppg. Malone is 9-1 at home entering this weekend, suffering its only loss on Dec. 12 to Lake Superior State, 73-71. The Pioneers score 72.1 ppg., at home this season compared to 68.7 ppg., on the road. In January, Malone went 7-2 despite scoring just 65.1 ppg…in the last three games, Malone shot 78-for-193 (40.4 percent) from the field, 20-for-77 (25.9 percent) from the three-point line and 39-of-60 (65 percent) from the free throw line…Malone is out-rebounding its opponents by 7.4 rpg., which is best mark in the GLIAC. The Pioneer are third in total rebounds (42.3 rpg.) and offensive rebounds (13.0 rpg.) The Pioneers also lead the conference in scoring defense, surrendering 63.8 ppg. Offensively, Malone ranks ninth in scoring (70.9 ppg.), sixth in field goal percentage (42.7 percent). Malone hosts Lake Erie on Thursday.
Junior guard Selana Reale is one of the best three-point shooters in the GLIAC, ranking second, shooting 45.3 percent this season. She is eighth in treys (39). Reale has made at least one triple in 17 of 21 games this season and has connected on at least two in 13 games. Reale ranks sixth in the GLIAC in assists (3.1 apg.), eighth in steals (33), 12th in free throw percentage (81.1 percent) and 18th in scoring (12.7 ppg.)…her best performance came against Northern Michigan on Dec. 7, when she scored a season-high 26 points, going 8-of-12 from the floor and 4-of-5 from deep…Reale had 18 points, five rebounds, and three assists against Ashland at Kates Gymnasium.
Senior guard Sydnee Penn is the team's third leading scorer and second-best rebounder, averaging 11.8 ppg., and 5.8 rpg. Penn leads the GLIAC in steals (46), ranks 11th in three-point field goal percentage (36.8 percent), 17th in rebounding, and 19th in assists (2.4 apg.)…Penn has scored in double figures in 17 games this season and in 10 of her last 11 games.
Jason Mishler is in his third year as the head coach. He owns a 39-34 record at Malone and led his team to a 10-12 conference record last season. Mishler graduated from Malone in 2005 and was a three-year starter at point guard for the Pioneers.
Eagles-Pioneers
Ashland leads the all-time series with Malone, 12-4. Before the two meetings in the regular season last year, the Eagles and Pioneers hadn't met since the 1991-92 season when Ashland won, 70-38. The Eagles lost the first meeting of the season on Jan. 18, as they had their worst shooting performance of the year. Malone held the Eagles to 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 the starting backcourt of Alyssa Miller, Woods and McKenzie Miller went a combined 9-for-39 (23.1 percent) from the field.
Last year on the road, the Eagles trailed for the first time all season at the intermission, 33-32. Ashland kept its unbeaten season alive winning, 81-57 thanks to a second half that began with the Eagles going on a 20-3 run. The Eagles finished the half shooting 16-of-28 from the field (57.1 percent) and ended the game going 18-for-18 at the free throw line. Kari Daugherty had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in the second half alone, on her way to a career-high 39 points to go with 19 rebounds. Daugherty's point total was the second most points scored in program history. Gerbec finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Logan Pastor had 24 points on 11-for-18 shooting, but was held to four points in the second half.…before the Malone win in Ashland, the last time the Pioneers defeated the Eagles came back in the 1986-87 season, 71-67.
Up Next
The Eagles return to Kates Gymnasium next week. They host Findlay on Thursday (Feb. 13) and Hillsdale on Saturday (Feb. 15). During Saturday's game, fans are encouraged to wear pink, as it will be a "Pink Out" to raise awareness for breast cancer.
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