No. 1 Eagles Earn Outright Great Midwest Regular-Season Title For Second Straight Season

The top-ranked women's basketball team in NCAA Division II has its first championship of 2023.
 
On Saturday (Feb. 18) afternoon on Senior Day at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, the No. 1-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team defeated Hillsdale, 83-59, to earn its second outright Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season title in as many seasons.
 
The Eagles, the only undefeated women's basketball side in Division II, are 27-0 overall and 19-0 in the Great Midwest, and the Chargers are 16-13, 9-10.
 
"That was a great win for our seniors," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens, referring to fifth-year guards Hallie Heidemann and Maddie Maloney, and senior guard Sam Chable. "We talked before the game about how much they have exemplified what Ashland women's basketball should be."
 
Great Midwest championship shirts are on sale in the Ashland University Campus Store at http://www.ashlandbookstore.com/MerchList.aspx?ID=40157.
 
WHAT HAPPENED

• Sophomore guard Morgan Yoder hit three consecutive 3-point field goals in 2:04 to begin the game, lifting Ashland to an early 9-2 lead. Hillsdale cut the deficit to 11-7, but after the first quarter, the Eagles pulled away to a 26-15 advantage – thanks to a 10-of-16 shooting period, and nine assists to two turnovers.
• The Chargers cut AU's lead to 26-23 early in the second quarter, as the Eagles missed their initial 11 shots of the stanza. Ashland, however, took its largest lead to that point at 37-24 outside of the two-minute mark, then led 44-27 at the half.
• In the first 20 minutes, the Eagles still made 48.6 percent from the field despite the second-quarter drought, and on defense, forced 10 turnovers which resulted in 13 points.
• Ashland started slow offensively for the second quarter in a row, but the defense kept Hillsdale from getting much closer. A triple from Chable put Ashland ahead 51-35, and by the time the third quarter ended, the Eagles led 64-41.
• "Sam is always ready to step up to whatever she's asked to do," Pickens said. "Whatever Sam needs to do for the team to be successful, she's going to do it."

 
THE WRAP-UP

• Senior forward Annie Roshak led the AU offense with 16 points, while adding eight rebounds, six assists and five blocked shots. Roshak has 1,698 career points, moving into fifth place on the program's all-time scoring list.
• Four Eagles scored in double-figures – Roshak, sophomore forward Hayley Smith (14 points, six rebounds), Heidemann (11 points, seven rebounds, four assists) and sophomore forward Zoe Miller (11 points).
• The Eagles made 48.6 percent from the field, and dished out 27 assists on 35 made field goals. Ashland turned the ball over just eight times, and forced the Chargers into 18 turnovers.
• AU's 10 blocks as a team are the most in a single game since 10 at home vs. Northwood on Nov. 19, 2019.
• Ashland moves to 104-3 all-time as the No. 1 team in the nation, and 286-18 all-time as a ranked team in Division II.

 
UP NEXT
The regular-season finale at home on Thursday (Feb. 23) at 5:30 p.m. vs. Malone (19-7, 13-5).