Box Score The margins continue to get smaller, but the outcomes stay the same.
The No. 3-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team improved to 19-0 overall and 13-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference following a 66-62 win over Ohio Dominican (14-5, 9-4) on Thursday (Jan. 28) night at Kates Gymnasium. The victory was the Eagles' closest of the 2015-16 season.
Ashland has opened up a four-game lead in the GLIAC South Division with nine games to play, and maintains a three-game overall conference standings advantage.
The Eagles' 19-game winning streak to begin 2015-16 is the second-longest in program history, only trailing the 24 in a row by the 2012-13 Division II national title-winning squad. AU also won its 23rd consecutive regular-season game, its 17th GLIAC regular-season game in a row and its 21st straight game at Kates Gymnasium.
Ashland came into Thursday's game as one of three undefeated women's basketball teams in Division II, and with the nation's longest current winning streak. It is 132-21 (.863) in its last 153 games.
Junior guard Kelsey Peare scored a career-high 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including three 3-point field goals. Sophomore forward Laina Snyder added 14 points, a team-high nine rebounds, four blocks and five steals, while sophomore forward Andi Daugherty posted 13 points, six boards and three assists.
Ashland kept the Panthers to 41.3-percent shooting from the field and forced 26 turnovers, which led to 20 points.
Coach Fralick's Post-Game Comments
Unofficially, according to research conducted by Liberty University assistant athletics communications director Joe Carmany, AU head coach Robyn Fralick has broken the record for most consecutive wins to begin a Division II women's basketball head coaching career. The NCAA does not keep official records in this category.
The Eagles led after a sloppy first half, 24-21. Ashland and ODU combined for 26 turnovers in the game's first 20 minutes.
Ashland began to make a move in the third quarter, outscoring the Panthers 25-16 in the period to take a 49-37 lead into the final 10 minutes. There, Ohio Dominican started to creep back, going on an 11-0 run to cut its deficit to a single point.
The Eagles never lost the lead, however, and led by as many as nine points down the stretch at 61-52 with 2:23 to go.
Ashland will return to Kates Gymnasium on Saturday (Jan. 30) at 1 p.m. to take on Tiffin (5-13, 3-10).
EAGLE NUGGETS: Prior to Thursday's game, there was a moment of silence for AU Professor Emeritus Dr. Don Rinehart, who passed away on Sunday (Jan. 24)…At halftime, Ashland head track and field coach Jud Logan was honored for his induction into the National Throws Coaches Association's Thrower's Hall of Fame in December…The sophomore trio of Snyder, Daugherty and Worley have led or co-led Ashland in rebounds in all 53 games together.
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