Box Score Ashland University's women's basketball team didn't necessarily defeat Northwood Friday (Jan. 2) night the hard way, but it did so in a rather unique way.
The Eagles earned their fifth consecutive victory, and moved to 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, following a 78-65 home win Friday against the Timberwolves (7-4, 3-2).
What was unique about the game from Ashland's perspective was it didn't attempt a 3-point field goal the entire 40 minutes. It is not immediately known if that is a first for the program since the NCAA instituted the 3-point line, but it is the first instance since at least back to the start of the 2000-01 season.
Ashland had four players in double-figure scoring Friday, led by freshman forward Laina Snyder's 22 points and sophomore forward Suzy Wollenhaupt's 21. Snyder was 9-for-13 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line, and added seven rebounds, and Wollenhaupt's point total was a season-high on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 7-of-8 from the foul line.
"It was a mental state for Suzy," said Ashland head coach Sue Ramsey, who earned her 349th career victory with the Eagles. "She came back (from a pre-Christmas break illness) and felt she needed to do more for her team. I felt like she was in the groove today."
Senior guard Taylor Woods added a dozen points, and now has 1,174 career points, 26 behind Gail Wasmus (1,200) for 12th in program history. She didn't make a 3-pointer, meaning she still is two behind AU all-time leader Karen Bley (202).
"I am so proud of how Taylor ran her team today," Ramsey said. "She was very patient with it."
Freshman forward Andi Daugherty had 10 points, a team-high eight rebounds and a team-high-tying four assists. Ramsey lauded the defensive efforts of both Daugherty and sophomore guard Kelsey Peare (team-high three steals).
Ashland led 27-15 just inside of the 10-minute mark of the first half, but the Timberwolves rallied to take a 41-40 lead into halftime. Northwood led 53-49 coming out the first media timeout of the second half, and the game's 11th and final tie (60-60) came with 9:23 to play. But Ashland went on a 12-2 run to put the game away down the stretch.
"I thought our team executed when we needed to," Ramsey said.
The Eagles, who remain a game behind Wayne State for first place in the GLIAC South Division, will return to Kates Gymnasium for another GLIAC home game Sunday (Jan. 4) at 1 p.m. against Lake Superior State (5-4, 1-4).
NOTES: Ashland has been led or co-led by a freshman in rebounding in 13 consecutive games…This is the Eagles' 20th winning streak of five games or more in Ramsey's 20 seasons…Ashland has allowed 30 points or less in a half 12 times in 22 tries in 2014-15…Friday's win was the Eagles' first this season when trailing at the half (1-3).
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