Box Score Not all detours are marked with signs. ODOT and the basketball gods seem to get a perverse delight out of making travellers guess where they're going at times.
When the AU women's basketball team lost to Malone at Kates Gymnasium, 70-53 on Jan. 16, there were those who wondered if that was the start of AU's demise in the GLIAC. Maybe the Eagles would spend this season wandering around the mid-pack of GLIAC teams.
Saturday (Feb. 8) in Canton, Ohio, the Eagles exacted revenge with an 81-68 victory. That proves that once again, the road to the division title goes through Ashland. It might not be clear sailing down that main artery, but any team that wants to take away the division crown is going to have to pay the same toll is has paid the last several seasons.
The Eagles have won two consecutive division crowns and league championships. Saturday's win gives the Eagles sole possession of the division lead with five regular season games remaining. AU and Malone began the day tied for first place in the division.
Ashland is 13-8 and 11-6 in the GLIAC. The Eagles have won three consecutive games. Malone is 15-8 and 10-7.
Freshman forward Suzy Wollenhaupt had 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots against the Pioneers. Sophomore guard McKenzie Miller came off the bench to score 20 points, bring in four rebounds and collect two steals and two assists. She accomplished that in 25 minutes. At Walsh on Thursday, Miller had 11 points and nine rebounds in a relief role.
AU also got 12 points from guard Taylor Woods and eight points and nine rebounds from senior guard Alyssa Miller. This was the 100th time in her career Alyssa Miller took the floor and left as a winner. School records indicate she is the only player who can make that claim.
AU withstood an assault from Malone's Sydnee Penn, who scored 31 points. Penn made 13-of-25 shots from the field and hit 5-of-9 three-point shots. Selana Reale had 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.
The game was tied, 14-14 with 11:17 to play in the first half. The Eagles went on a 15-5 run over the next 4:06 to take a 29-16 lead. McKenzie Miller had six points during that stretch and Wollenhaupt had four points.
At halftime the Eagles were on top, 37-26. Over the first 20 minutes the Eagles shot 50 percent (15-of-30) from the floor and clicked on 3-of-5 three-points shots. At halftime, AU had outrebounded the Pioneers, 22-15 and Malone was shooting 33 percent (11-of-33) from the floor.
AU was able to maintain a lead of seven to 10 points throughout the early stages of the second half. Malone managed to get that down to 51-47 with 12:12 remaining in regulation. Ashland scored the game's next six points - all by Wollenhaupt. That gave the Eagles a 10-point lead and the Pioneers couldn't mount a serious threat the rest of the afternoon.
The Eagles led in points in the paint, 34-22. In bench points, Ashland had a 28-6 advantage. In the two games in Canton this week, the Ashland bench outscored the opposition, 58-27.
AU shot 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from three-point range and converted 26-of-32 free throw attempts (81.2 percent).
Up next for the Eagles are home dates against Findlay (Feb. 13, 5:30 p.m.) and Hillsdale (Feb. 15, 1 p.m.).
AU
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