No. 1 AU Women Win At Cedarville, Earn At Least Share Of League Title

Championships have been nothing new for Ashland University's women's basketball team over the last decade-plus.
 
The No. 1-ranked Eagles added another title on Thursday (Feb. 16) night at Cedarville, as a 107-83 victory clinched at least a share of the 2022-23 Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season crown.
 
Ashland is 26-0 overall and 18-0 in the Great Midwest after improving to 21-0 all-time in conference road games. The Eagles can clinch the conference regular-season title outright on Senior Day on Saturday (Feb. 18) afternoon at home.
 
It is the second Great Midwest regular-season title for Ashland in as many years, following eight South Division championships in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in the last 11 seasons in that circuit.
 
Ashland's 107 points are its most in a game since scoring 108 at home against Findlay on Nov. 14, 2019.
 
The Yellow Jackets are 7-16, 5-12.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Ashland and Cedarville were neck-and-neck in the opening five minutes, and were tied at 11 at the first media timeout. At the end of the first quarter, the Eagles led 19-17 – as both teams were 8-of-16 from the field, and both teams turned the ball over four times.
• A 7-0 AU spurt early in the second quarter put the Eagles ahead 28-19, then the biggest lead of the game to that point was 41-31 inside of the three-minute mark. Cedarville scored seven points in a row at the end of the first half, but Ashland led 44-38 going into the break.
• The Eagles made 56.3 percent from the field and assisted on 14 of 18 baskets in the first 20 minutes, while the Yellow Jackets made 55.2 percent from the floor and forced eight Ashland turnovers.
• Cedarville cut its deficit to two points at 51-49, but the Eagles responded with six points in a row to take an eight-point lead. Junior guard Savaya Brockington's 3-point field goal put AU ahead by 11 points at 63-52, then fifth-year guard Maddie Maloney's triple forced a Cedarville timeout with the Eagles leading by 14.
• By the time the third quarter came to an end, Ashland had a 72-58 advantage. The Eagles had a 20-point lead at 87-67 outside of the six-minute mark in the final stanza, and went on to victory from there.

 
THE WRAP-UP

• Six Eagles scored in double digits on Thursday night, led by fifth-year senior Hallie Heidemann, who went for 22 points on 8-of-9 from the field and 6-of-6 from 3-point range, and added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
• Sophomore forward Zoe Miller scored 18 points, senior forward Annie Roshak, Brockington and junior guard Macy Spielman each added 14, and Maloney ended with 11.
• Brockington's seven assists led AU's impressive passing total of 28 helpers on 42 made field goals. The Eagles made 62.7 percent from the field (eighth game in a row at 50.0+ and third straight at 62.0+), 44.1 percent from 3-point range (eighth straight game at 40.0+) and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.
• The Eagles are 100 games above .500 (103-3) all-time as the No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division II, and 285-18 all-time as a ranked team in D-II.

 
UP NEXT
Ashland's Senior Day will be on Saturday (Feb. 18) at 1 p.m. vs. Hillsdale (16-12, 9-9).