Senior forward
Karlee Pireu scored 29 points, including 20 in the second half, to lead the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team to a 76-71 come-from-behind win at Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday (Feb. 12) afternoon.
The victory extends the Eagles' winning streak to 19 games, and improves AU's record to 22-1 overall and 17-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Panthers are 14-9, 11-6.
WHAT HAPPENED
- Down 6-3 early, the Eagles worked it to a 15-15 tie before the Panthers took a 16-15 lead into the second quarter.
- Ashland started the second period with an 8-2 spurt to go on top 23-18, but Kentucky Wesleyan countered with eight consecutive points to regain the lead. At the half, the game was knotted at 36.
- In the first 20 minutes, Ashland made 50.0 percent from the field in a half in which there were 11 ties and eight lead changes.
- Kentucky Wesleyan took charge of the early part of the third quarter, leading 49-41 with six minutes left in the stanza. Following a timeout, it was Ashland's turn to return serve, going on a 15-4 run to take a 56-53 lead into the final quarter.
- Heading into the fourth, Pireu had 23 points – including eight in the last three minutes of the third.
- Ashland kept its momentum going into the fourth, leading 67-59 four-plus minutes in, forcing a Panthers timeout. That made the overall AU run from KWC's eight-point third-quarter led to this point 26-10.
- The Eagles' biggest lead was 11 points at 70-59 en route to the victory.
THE WRAP-UP
- Pireu was 11-of-17 from the floor and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line, and added six rebounds. With 1,511 career points, Pireu becomes just the seventh player in program history to go past 1,500.
- Junior forward Annie Roshak also scored in double digits, finishing with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
- Ashland made 49.0 percent from the floor in the win, and was 18-of-24 from the foul line – including 12-of-13 in the second half.
- The Eagles forced 14 Panther turnovers, resulting in 17 AU points.
UP NEXT
The first set of NCAA Division II regional rankings will be revealed on Wednesday (Feb. 16) afternoon. Ashland's next game will be a return to the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium on Thursday (Feb. 17) at 5:30 p.m. against Walsh (21-3, 16-2), winner of 13 games in a row..
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