No. 1 AU Women Start Fast, Win At Walsh To Go To 18-0

On Saturday (Jan. 14) afternoon, the No. 1-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team won at Walsh, 78-52, to move to 18-0 overall and 10-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
The Cavaliers are 6-10, 4-5.
 
Ashland, which entered the day as one of only three undefeated women's basketball teams in NCAA Division II in 2022-23, and Walsh played each other for the sixth time in a little more than a calendar year.
 
This is the sixth time in Eagle women's basketball history that they have started a season with at least 18 consecutive wins, along with the 2019-20, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2015-16, and 2012-13 seasons.
 
Ashland has won seven consecutive games by at least 26 points, and has won 20 road/neutral-site games in a row.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• The Eagles wasted little time pulling away from the Cavaliers, scoring the game's first 10 points – and breaking the recent pattern of slow AU starts. Ashland stretched its first-quarter lead to 19-2, and by the end of the period, it was 24-5. In the first 10 minutes, the Eagles kept Walsh to 1-of-15 from the field, and made 10-of-17 themselves.
• Things evened out in the second quarter, but at halftime, Ashland's lead was 35-18. The Eagle defense was strong throughout the first half, keeping the Cavaliers to 6-of-27 from the field and 1-of-8 from 3-point range, while both senior forward Annie Roshak (12 points, six rebounds) and fifth-year guard Hallie Heidemann (eight points, six rebounds) were halfway to double-doubles through 20 minutes.
• Ashland started the second half in similar fashion to how it began the first half, going on a 13-4 run to build a 26-point lead at 48-22. By the end of the third quarter, despite Walsh continuing to counter, the Eagles sported a 60-41 lead.
• Extending its advantage to 71-47 halfway through the fourth quarter, Ashland went on to victory from there.

 
THE WRAP-UP

• Four Eagles scored in double figures on Saturday, paced by Heidemann and Roshak with 18 points each. Roshak was 9-of-11 from the floor, and Heidemann 7-for-10.
• Sophomore forwards Zoe Miller (12 points) and Hayley Smith (10 points) rounded out the AU double-digit scorers, and Smith grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for a double-double.
• The Eagles finished with a decided 52-25 rebounding advantage – grabbing 50 or more boards for the first time since Feb. 13, 2020.
• Defensively, Ashland kept Walsh to 34.5 percent from the floor and 2-of-17 from beyond the arc.
• The Eagles improved to 95-3 all-time as the No. 1 team in NCAA Division II, and 277-18 as a ranked team.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland will return to the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium on Thursday (Jan. 19) at 5:30 p.m. against Findlay (4-13, 1-8).