No. 5 AU Women Survive Scare, Top SVSU In Home Opener

After trailing by 17 points in the second quarter of its 2022-23 home opener on Wednesday (Nov. 16) night, the No. 5-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team outscored Saginaw Valley State 67-38 en route to an 87-75 win at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
 
The Eagles are 3-0 on the young season, while the Cardinals are 1-2.
 
"It's a long season," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens, "so when you're down 17, it's always a one possession at a time-type mentality. I thought our team stayed really together. Defensively, we definitely have to clean a few things up. We were able to find a win.
 
"I was proud of our team for staying together and still finding a way to win."
 
Ashland continues to be undefeated all-time (22-0) as the No. 5-ranked team in NCAA Division II.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• The Cardinals steadily moved out to a 16-9 lead, and they increased that lead to 25-16, prompting an Eagle timeout. At the end of the first quarter, SVSU led 27-18, and Kaitlyn Zarycki had 16 points on 7-of-7 shooting to pace Saginaw.
• Saginaw extended its advantage to 37-20 early in the second period, but Ashland came back with one of its patented runs, this one 10-0, to cut the deficit to seven points. By halftime, the Eagle run was 21-6, and the SVSU lead was down to two points at 43-41.
• In the first 20 minutes, the Cardinals were a scorching 72.0 percent from the field, but turned the ball over 12 times, resulting in 15 Eagle points. Ashland countered by hitting 6-of-15 from 3-point range, and 11-of-13 from the free-throw line.
• With 7:06 left in the third quarter, an old-fashioned 3-point play from sophomore forward Zoe Miller put Ashland ahead, 50-49. It was the Eagles' first lead in roughly a full half's worth of clock.
• Scoring the final seven points of the period, Ashland went into the fourth leading 65-59. The Eagles kept the Cardinals to 40.0 percent from the field in the third, while shooting 53.3 percent themselves.
• Ashland scored the first seven points of the fourth, extending the run to 14-0 and the lead to 72-59.

 
THE WRAP-UP

• Five Eagles scored in double figures, paced by sophomore guard Morgan Yoder's career-high 16 points to go with three assists and a career-high five steals.
• "For us being such a new team and having so many new players," Yoder said, "I think we did an amazing job of just staying together and playing together for each other."
• "Morgan played great from start to finish," Pickens said. "Her poise under pressure, both offensively and defensively, came through loud and clear. Morgan played great."
• Senior forward Annie Roshak was next with 15 points, and moves into 11^th place on Ashland's all-time scoring list with 1,380 career points.
• Sophomore forward Hayley Smith added 12 points, junior guard Macy Spielman added 11, and Miller finished with 10.
• Ashland made 83.3 percent from the free-throw line, and turned the ball over just 13 times. The Eagles scored 28 points off 22 SVSU turnovers, and kept the Cardinals to 44.0 shooting in the second half.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland will stay at home for another in-region game against Lewis (0-2) on Saturday (Nov. 19) at 5:30 p.m., moved from the original start time of 1 p.m. The game against the Flyers will be Alumni Day and the 2012-13 NCAA Division II National Championship Team Recognition.