No. 2 Eagle Women Run Past Trojans At Home, 106-55

In the first meeting between the two women's basketball programs, No. 2-ranked Ashland defeated Trevecca Nazarene, 106-55, on Monday (Jan. 31) afternoon at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
 
The Eagles earned their 15^th consecutive victory on Monday, and improved to 18-1 overall and 13-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Trojans are 3-14, 2-9.
 
"I thought that, for a majority of the game, our team played to the standards that we want to play to," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens. "We played really together and with a lot of freedom, and that, in my opinion, was the most exciting thing of the day."
 
It is the first time Ashland has scored at least 100 points in a Great Midwest game, the first time in any game since posting 105 against Ferris State on Jan. 30, 2020, and are the most Eagle points in a contest since 108 vs. Findlay on Nov. 14, 2019.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Ashland scored the game's first 10 points, and out of the first-quarter media timeout, the advantage was 19-4. The first 10 minutes ended with the Eagles leading by a 27-12 count, with sophomore guard Macy Spielman scoring 10 points, and with the Trojans turning the ball over nine times.
• By halftime, not much had changed, but Ashland led 51-30 after closing the first half with an 11-3 run. The Trojans made 56 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, but that was negated by 18 turnovers which led to 15 Eagle points.
• Ashland scored the first 15 points of the third quarter, raising its lead to 36 points at 66-30. That stanza saw the Eagles outscore the Trojans 36-17, and going into the final quarter, the AU advantage was 87-47.
• The only drama in the fourth quarter was if the Eagles would get to triple figures, and it happened on a triple from junior guard Sophia Fortner outside of the four-minute mark.

 
THE WRAP-UP

• For the second time in three games, six Eagles scored in double figures. Spielman ended the game with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, followed by senior forward Karlee Pireu and junior forward Annie Roshak with 14 points each, senior guard Hallie Heidemann and freshman forward Hayley Smith with 13 each, and freshman point guard Morgan Yoder with 10.
• "We have a really deep team, and when we play unselfishly, that's the kind of basketball that should be happening," Pickens said. "It was good to see today."
• Said Heidemann, "It definitely helps when you're getting back out there to see the ball go in the hoop. It helps build that confidence back up."
• Added Yoder, who had her third double-digit scoring game off the bench this month, "(It's) just the continual confidence, and the confidence that my teammates and coaches put into me, that's been a big thing."
• Pireu played in her 137^th career game on Monday, one behind both Andi Daugherty and Laina Snyder for most in program history.
• Ashland, the No. 2 team in NCAA Division II in field-goal percentage entering the game (48.6), shot 50.7 percent from the field, 47.8 percent from beyond the arc and 79.3 percent from the foul line against the Trojans.
• Trevecca Nazarene made just 25.0 percent from the field in the second half. The Eagles forced 30 Trojan turnovers in the victory, while also outrebounding Trevecca Nazarene, 39-29.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland will stay at home for another Great Midwest game on Wednesday (Feb. 2) at 5:30 p.m. vs. Ursuline (8-11, 5-9) – a team the Eagles beat on the road on Saturday (Jan. 29), 74-57.
 
Nine games are scheduled for February following a very-much-shuffled January.
 
"It's huge for us to consistently play together," Yoder said.
 
Heidemann said, "I'm excited. This team is a lot of fun, and we still have potential left to reach, and that's really exciting."