Top-Ranked AU Women Defeat Northwood At Home For 40th Straight Great Midwest Win

Finishing off its eighth undefeated month of January in the last nine years, the No. 1-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team topped Northwood, 75-47, on Wednesday (Jan. 31) night at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
 
The Great Midwest Athletic Conference-leading Eagles improve to 18-1 overall and 11-0 in the league, while the Timberwolves are 11-7, 7-4. Ashland's win on Thursday night was its 10^th in a row, 55^th in the last 56 games, and 40^th consecutively within the Great Midwest, including tournaments.
 
"Northwood's a really good team, very well-coached," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens, who now has 10 times as many wins as losses as AU head coach (160-16). "I thought our team came out and played as close to 40 minutes on both ends of the court as we've seen all year on a consistent basis, so I am so proud of the girls."
 
Ashland ran out to a 9-3 lead in the game's first five minutes, then both teams went cold from the field. By the time the first quarter came to an end, the Eagles led 13-9 – despite turning the ball over six times and making 4-of-15 from the field. AU did, however, score seven points off five Timberwolves turnovers.
 
The Eagles started to figure it out on offense to begin the second quarter, hitting five of their first six shots to move out to a 26-12 advantage. Halftime saw Ashland take a 36-17 lead into the locker room – with the last basket before the break being a 3-pointer from freshman guard Lexi Howe, after an assist from junior forward Hayley Smith while she was seated on the floor.
 
During the first 20 minutes, the Eagles had a decided 25-11 rebounding advantage – including 12 offensive boards which turned into 10 AU points.
 
Ashland took its first 20-point lead at 50-30, and led 56-32 going into the final stanza.
 
POST-GAME NUGGETS

• Three Eagles scored in double figures on Thursday night – fifth-year forward Annie Roshak (16 points, 10 rebounds), junior forward Zoe Miller (14 points) and Howe (13 points).
• Ashland finished plus-19 in rebounding (48-29), and had 22 assists on 28 made field goals. The Eagles also cashed in on 19 Northwood turnovers to the tune of 24 points.
• "Offensively, there was just a lot of good things to take away from today's game," said Pickens. "Just really pleased with the effort."
• Defensively, the Eagles kept the Timberwolves to 32.7 percent – the fifth consecutive game an AU opponent has been at 39.5 percent or less.
• "I'm really proud of our team for that," Pickens said. "They have not let up one bit."
• The win was Ashland's 16^th in the last 17 meetings with Northwood.
• Ashland is 125-4 when playing as the No. 1-ranked team in NCAA Division II, and 314-19 as a ranked team in D-II.

UP NEXT
Back on the road for another conference game on Saturday (Feb. 3) at 3 p.m. at Lake Erie.