No. 2 AU Women Run Past Dragons At Home, Now 8-0

It was an exhibition of most of the hallmarks of Ashland University women's basketball over the last decade on Saturday (Dec. 3) afternoon at the Sherill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
 
The No. 2-ranked Eagles remained undefeated at 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference following a 104-46 home win over Tiffin.
 
"That was the closest game of 40 minutes of Ashland basketball that we've had all year," said Eagle head coach Kari Pickens. "and I was really, really proud of our girls for that.
 
"We changed things up (defensively). We had been pressing all year, and today, we didn't, because we knew that we had to lock down more in the half-court than we had been. The girls were totally bought in to us making that change."
 
Offensively, Ashland hit at a 59.6-percent rate from the field, a 53.6-percent clip from 3-point range and an 84.0-percent efficiency from the free-throw line. The Eagles dished out 29 assists on 34 made field goals, and had a decided 40-23 rebounding advantage.

Ashland's 104 points are the most in a game since 106 against Trevecca Nazarene at home on Jan. 31 of this year.
 
Defensively, AU kept Tiffin to 30 percent from the field and 3-of-13 from downtown, while forcing 17 turnovers which resulted in 21 points.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Ashland scored the game's first seven points, and it was a 13-4 Eagles lead before Tiffin scored the next six points going into the first-quarter media stoppage. Ashland ran off the last 15 points of the opening period, and behind 11 points and six rebounds from sophomore forward Hayley Smith, the Eagles took a 28-10 advantage into the second.
• It was much more of the same in the second stanza, and by halftime, the Ashland lead had increased to 51-17. The Eagles were strong on both ends of the floor, shooting 64.3 percent from the field, 9-of-14 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, recording 16 assists on 18 baskets, having an 18-7 rebounding advantage and keeping the Dragons to 30.0 percent from the floor.
• The Eagles' lead grew to 49 points at 79-30 as the third quarter came to a close, and they went on to victory from there.

 
THE WRAP-UP

• Smith narrowly missed a program record on Saturday, going 10-for-10 on the floor and scoring a career-high 23 points and adding nine rebounds. Amber Rall went 11-for-11 in a game at Hillsdale on Feb. 28, 2004.
• "I think that we're playing a lot faster this year, and we're so deep that the rotations are a lot faster," Smith said. "A goal of ours has been, the minutes that you are out there, give it your all."
• Off the bench, sophomore forward Zoe Miller scored 20 points on 5-of-5 shooting, 3-of-3 from beyond the 3-point line and 7-of-9 from the foul line. She added seven rebounds.
• Both fifth-year guard Hallie Heidemann and junior forward Macy Spielman each added 11 points in the victory, while sophomore guard Morgan Yoder dished out six assists.
• Ashland is 40-1 in December games since 2015, and moves to 49-3 all-time as the No. 2 team in NCAA Division II. The Eagles are 178-13 in their last 191 games at home.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland will stay at home to take on Walsh (3-3, 1-0) on Thursday (Dec. 8) at 5:30 p.m.