Box Score The cure what briefly ailed Ashland University's women's basketball team?
Simple. Kates Gymnasium.
The No. 3-ranked Eagles, who lost for the first time in 2015-16 on Thursday (Feb. 4) night at Walsh, resumed their lengthy home winning streak on Saturday (Feb. 6) afternoon with a 78-50 victory over Malone. With its 23rd straight win at Kates Gymnasium, Ashland is 22-1 overall and 16-1 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
"It was a much better team effort," said Ashland head coach Robyn Fralick. "The biggest thing we focused on going into this game was our effort had to be much better, in all areas of the game. I thought from opening tip, it was clear that our kids were very focused and played hard."
The Pioneers are 6-16, 3-14.
AU, which already has clinched a spot in its 17th GLIAC Tournament in its 21st season in the conference, is three games ahead of the rest of the conference and three games ahead of Ohio Dominican in the South Division with five regular-season contests remaining.
Winning at home hasn't been a habit for the Eagles in just the past two seasons. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, AU is 81-10 (.890) when playing at "The Kates."
"We love playing at Kates," Fralick said. "We talk all the time that you have to protect home."
Ashland also began the day tied with Bentley for the most wins in Division II since the start of the 2010-11 campaign (153).
Sophomore forward Julie Worley paced the Eagle offense with 15 points off the bench, which included a 7-for-7 effort from the free-throw line. Sophomore forwards Andi Daugherty and Laina Snyder each added 11 points, while Snyder grabbed 10 rebounds and added three assists and two blocks, and Daugherty posted eight boards and three helpers.
For Snyder, it was her 23rd career double-double, and she now has 500 career rebounds as an Eagle.
"I was a lot more fun," Snyder said. "As (graduate assistant coach Emily) Hatch said, fun is a byproduct of effort."
Senior guard McKenzie Miller scored 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range in the victory.
Ashland shot 13-for-14 from the foul line, turned the ball over just nine times, had a decided 44-32 rebounding advantage and assisted on 23 of 29 made field goals. Defensively, the Eagles kept the Pioneers to 30.0 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent from the free-throw line.
It didn't take long for the Eagles to set the tone on Saturday, going out to an 8-1 lead. AU led 23-7 after the first quarter and 45-17 at halftime, and didn't look back.
Ashland will continue its three-game GLIAC homestand on Thursday (Feb. 11) at 5:30 p.m. against Findlay (14-9, 9-8).
EAGLE NUGGETS: The AU program record consecutive home wins is 44 from Feb. 3, 2011-Nov. 9, 2013…The Eagles are 7-2 in GLIAC play all-time against the Pioneers...Snyder, Daugherty and/or Worley have led or co-led Ashland in rebounds in 56 of 57 career games.
AU
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