ANOTHER WON! No. 1 Eagle Women Claim 2023 Great Midwest Tourney Title

And the beat goes on.
 
On Saturday (March 4) afternoon at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, the No. 1-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team defeated Trevecca Nazarene, 83-65, to not only improve to 31-0 on the season, but earn the 2023 Great Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament title – the program's ninth tournament crown in the last 12 seasons.
 
Ashland also will automatically qualify for the 2023 NCAA Division II postseason, will make the program's 13^th such appearance (2004, 2006, 2012-13, 2015-23), and almost assuredly will play host to the Midwest Regional Tournament on March 10-11 and 13.
 
The Trojans are 21-9.
 
Ashland has started a season at 31-0 for the fourth time in program history, all since 2016-17 (2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20 and 2022-23).
 
A quick 6-0 Eagle lead led to a quick Trojans timeout 2:04 into the game. It was nine consecutive AU points before Trevecca Nazarene got on the board, then a 12-2 Eagle advantage.
 
The end of the first quarter saw Ashland with an 18-11 lead – with the defense leading the way to the tune of five steals and keeping the Trojans to 3-of-10 from the floor. Fifth-year guard Hallie Heidemann had eight points and three steals in the first 10 minutes.
 
Ashland's largest lead was 12 points at 23-11, following five straight points to start the second quarter. The Trojans worked their deficit back to seven points at 26-19, prompting an Eagle timeout with 5:34 left until halftime.
 
Ashland replicated their 12-point advantage at 34-22 heading into the last three minutes of the first half, and by halftime, the Eagles' lead was a game-high 18 points at 42-24. AU made 9-of-18 from 3-point range in the first 20 minutes, had 11 assists on 13 made field goals, and turned the ball over just twice.
 
Defensively, the Eagle kept the clamps on the Trojans, keeping them to 31.0 percent from the floor and 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
 
Ashland took its first 20-point lead early in the third quarter (44-24), but Trevecca worked its deficit down to 11 points at 56-45. The Eagle response was to score the game's next 11 points, and they led 67-47 going into the final quarter.
 
NOTABLES

• Senior forward Annie Roshak, the 2022-23 Great Midwest Player of the Year, was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, and Heidemann and sophomore point guard Morgan Yoder were named to the all-tournament team.
• Yoder scored a team-high and career-high 18 points on Saturday, making a career-high six triples in the process. Heidemann added 16 points, six rebounds, five steals and three assists, while Roshak chipped in with 13 points and sophomore forward Hayley Smith added nine points and 10 rebounds.
• The Eagles finished with 24 assists to just seven turnovers in the win. Ashland made 17 3-pointers in the win, one shy of the program record.
• Eagles head coach Kari Pickens' career winning percentage stands at .901 (136-15). Only Thomas More's Jeff Hans (.906) has a better winning percentage all-time in NCAA women's basketball at all levels.
• Ashland is 108-3 (.973) all-time as the No. 1 team in Division II, and 290-18 (.942) all-time as a ranked team in D-II.
• The Eagles are 191-13 (.936) at home since the start of the 2011-12 season.
• Ashland is 4-0 all-time against Trevecca Nazarene.

 
QUOTABLES

• "It's been a really, really fun run," said Pickens. "I am beyond thankful for the support that we've had here at Ashland, to make some of those things happen. I'm really proud of our team. Each year, it has looked different."
• "Individual awards are a direct reflection of the team," said Roshak. "I wouldn't have been MVP if we wouldn't have won. I'm just really grateful to be a tournament champion."
• Said Yoder, "Getting to do it with this group of people has been awesome. Just putting in the work and trusting myself (with my shooting). If you're open, take the good shot."