Finishing a four-game start to the 2024-25 season away from home, the No. 5-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team defeated Wayne State, 73-53, on Sunday (Nov. 10) afternoon in Detroit, Mich..
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The Eagles move to 3-1 on the young campaign after a third straight victory, and the Warriors are 0-2. Ashland extended its NCAA Division II women's basketball record for consecutive road wins to 41 games, and has beaten Wayne State in 16 of the last 17 meetings.
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An 8-0 Warrior run in the first quarter put the Eagles behind by an 13-6 count. Wayne State led 15-11 through the first 10 minutes, as Ashland missed 10 of 14 shots from the field.
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A layup from senior forward
Hayley Smith early in the second quarter put AU ahead 20-19, then, after a layup from sophomore guard
Kylie Leibacher, the Warriors stopped play with the Eagles ahead 23-19 with six minutes remaining until the break.
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By the time Ashland's 17-0 run came to an end, the lead was 12 points at 31-19. Going into halftime, however, the Warriors' 7-0 spurt made it a 31-26 AU advantage.
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A 9-0 third-quarter run by the Eagles extended their advantage to 40-28. At the end of the third, Ashland had its biggest lead of the game to that point at 57-39.
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THREE DOUBLE-DIGIT EAGLES…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- Ashland had three players finish in double-digit scoring – Smith (14 points), senior point guard Morgan Yoder (12 points) and senior forward Zoe Miller (10 points).
- Smith was 7-of-9 from the field and added a game-high seven rebounds.
- The Eagles ended the game shooting 50.9 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, while turning Wayne State over 22 times.
UP NEXT
The 2024-25 home opener at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium on Friday (Nov. 15) at 5:30 p.m. vs. Davenport.
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