For the fifth time in the last eight seasons, Ashland University's women's basketball team has started a campaign at 10-0, as, on Saturday (Dec. 10) afternoon at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, the No. 3-ranked Eagles topped Northwood, 93-57, for their 10
th straight win to open 2022-23.
Ashland is 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, while the Timberwolves are 3-7, 1-3.
"It was a great team win. I thought for the majority of the game, we did a great job of just controlling the tempo of the game," said Ashland head coach
Kari Pickens, who is 100 games above .500 as a head coach, after just 130 games (115-15).
"We stayed really composed and played together."
Through Thursday (Dec. 8), Ashland was tied for second in NCAA Division II in assists per game at 19.6, and one of the main staples of Eagle women's basketball was on full display on Saturday night. AU dished out 32 assists on 36 field goals.
"I am so proud of this team," Pickens said. "Coming into this year, we had five all-league players coming in, players who have played big minutes…it doesn't look like we have players trying to earn an all-league accolade. We have players who are doing what is best for the team. There isn't a selfish one in the bunch."
"We're looking for the open person, and there's no one playing selfish on our team," said sophomore point guard
Morgan Yoder, who had a career-high 10 assists on Saturday.
WHAT HAPPENED
- Ashland wasted little time running away from Northwood, taking a 15-2 lead after making its first six shots from the field. The run after the early 2-2 tie ended at 18-0 and a 20-2 advantage, and by the end of the first quarter, the Eagle gap was 29-7.
- In the first 10 minutes, sophomore forward Hayley Smith was 5-for-5 from the field with a dozen points…in just five minutes on the floor.
- Northwood had cut the deficit to 39-25 in the second half, but back-to-back 3-point field goals from fifth-year guard Hallie Heidemann got the lead back to 17 points. At the half, the Eagles led 52-29, and the catalysts were 61.8-percent shooting, and 18 assists on 21 made field goals – a career-high eight helpers by sophomore guard Morgan Yoder alone.
- Ashland kept Northwood at arm's length in the third quarter, leading 66-44 heading into the fourth. Back-to-back triples from junior guard Savaya Brockington and sophomore forward Zoe Miller put the Eagles ahead by 28 points, and they went on to victory from there.
THE WRAP-UP
- Senior forward Annie Roshak led the AU offensive effort with 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the field, and got a lot of help from Smith (18 points, 8-of-10 from the floor, 10 rebounds, four assists), Miller (17 points on 6-of-8 shooting), Heidemann (11 points) and Brockington (11 points, five assists, and five steals).
- Ashland shot 56.3 percent from the field and was 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, while boasting a 46-25 rebounding advantage.
- In the last three games, Ashland is averaging 97.0 points per game, is shooting 57.8 percent from the field, and has 89 assists on 108 baskets.
- Defensively, the Eagles kept the Timberwolves to 33.9 percent from the field, and forced 17 turnovers, which were turned into 22 points.
UP NEXT
Ashland will not play again for a week, coming back home on Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (6-3, 3-0).
