SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Ashland University's women's basketball team's late-season surge came to an end on Monday (March 15) night, as the Eagles lost to No. 2-ranked Drury, 88-69, in a Midwest Regional championship game.
The Eagles, who came in having won eight of their last nine games, see their season end at 16-9. The Panthers will go to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in Columbus, Ohio, at 22-1 and with a 12-game winning streak.
"I'm so incredibly proud of this team," said Ashland head coach
Kari Pickens. "We're very disappointed that we weren't able to pull out the win. The second quarter really came back to hurt us.
"One game never defines the journey. This has been one of my most fun, enjoyable teams that I've ever coached. They were totally bought in, and they did whatever we asked."
Trailing 10-4 in the first quarter, Ashland scored five in a row to pull to within a single point almost halfway through. Down 11-9 out of the first media timeout, the Eagles yielded back-to-back baskets before sophomore guard
Sam Chable knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game at 15.
After the initial 10 minutes, the Eagles trailed 18-15, and the most noticeable statistical difference was at the free-throw line – the Panthers were 4-for-7, while AU didn't attempt a charity toss.
The beginning of the second period belonged to Drury, as the Panthers extended their advantage to 26-17 a little more three minutes in, then 28-19 at the media timeout. Drury then hit the Eagles with eight straight points for a 36-21 lead before an AU timeout.
By halftime, the Panthers' run was 10-0, and their lead was 38-21. Drury made 9-of-15 shots in the second quarter, and AU 3-of-10, and the Panthers scored 11 points off 10 Eagle turnovers in the game's first 20 minutes.
Drury continued to extend its lead, moving it to 24 points at 54-30 early in the second half, and from that point, the Eagles could get no closer than 17 points.
Sophomore forward
Annie Roshak scored 22 points, and her season average of 21.0 points per game is tied for fourth-highest in program history. Junior guard
Hallie Heidemann finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while senior forward
Karlee Pireu added 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Heidemann, in her second season as a starter, was asked to play various different roles in 2020-21, and her output on both ends of the court was evident.
"Hallie's an incredible basketball player. She impacts the game on both ends of the court, for the entire game," Pickens said. "She defends the other team's best player. She is a ballhawk for 40 minutes. She can shoot the 3, she can get to the rim, she can shoot a pull-up. Honestly, it's her defense and rebounding that sets her apart."
Said Heidemann, "A lot of the growth comes from, honestly, our coaches. Getting the feedback, knowing what I need to work on. Playing all those minutes, I was a little nervous. God was there for me in that. He was my strength, and I talk to Him throughout every game, asking for His strength.
"That in and of itself was a blessing, that we got to play 25 games, with seven tournament games. That's just a lot of experience coming back."
Pireu has 1,215 career points, and is 16
th on Ashland's all-time scoring list.
The Eagles shot 50 percent from the field in the defeat.
Roshak and Pireu were named to the all-tournament team following the contest.
This was Ashland's sixth Sweet 16 appearance, all since 2012, and the program's 11
th D-II tournament qualification.
"It looked different…but our vision and our goals never change," Pickens said. "It just took us a little bit of the time to learn and grow, and I thought we did that.
"I thought they loved each other really well. I thought they were eager to learn and grow, and I thought they worked extremely hard."
AU
WBKB/DS
