The No. 10-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team picked up its first Great Midwest Athletic Conference victory of 2024-25 on Saturday (Dec. 7) afternoon at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, 76-45, over Tiffin.
Ashland improves to 7-3 overall and 1-1 in the league, while the Dragons are 4-3, 0-1. This is Ashland's 16
th consecutive home win dating back to last season, and 16
th straight win over Tiffin.
"I was really pleased with our girls' effort," said Ashland head coach
Kari Pickens, who coached in her 200
th game guiding the Eagles on Saturday. "I thought that we were a little too sloppy at times. I'm glad we were able to come away with a big win."
The Eagles kept the Dragons off the board for nearly the first five minutes, but Ashland fell behind 6-5 after back-to-back Tiffin 3-point field goals. A 10-8 AU lead at the game's first media timeout melted away, but senior guard
Morgan Yoder's triple in the closing seconds of the opening period gave the Eagles a 15-13 lead going into the second.
Ashland opened up the trey barrage to start the second quarter, as four triples in the first 4:21 of the stanza lifted the Eagles to a 29-20 lead – resulting in a Dragons timeout. The biggest AU first-half advantage was the halftime score of 38-22 – as sophomore forward
Gia Casalinova's four 3s gave her a game-high dozen points at the break.
The Eagles' first 20-plus lead was 43-22 early in the second half, and that moved to 54-25 inside of the halfway point of the third quarter after Yoder hit AU's 12
th triple of the afternoon. By the end of the third, Ashland led 61-29 – and went to victory from there.
SMITH SETS NEW PERSONAL STANDARD…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- Senior forward Hayley Smith ended the game with a career-high 17 rebounds (12 in the first half, six in the last two minutes of the first half), to go with six points, five assists three blocks and two steals.
- "Hayley was a force on the glass," Pickens said. "Seventeen of our 41 rebounds is pretty impressive. That's something that she's elite at, and today showcased that."
- Casalinova scored a game-high and career-high-tying 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting from 3-point range.
- Said Casalinova, "After last game, I did not shoot the ball that well. The confidence that my teammates and the coaches have given me has instilled me believing it."
- "Gia really set the tone with that confidence," Pickens said. "She went on to have a phenomenal game."
- Graduate guard Lydia Sweeney (14 points) and freshman point guard Ashley Mullet (12) also scored in double figures in the win.
- Ashland's 17 treys on Saturday were one short of the school record.
- "I thought we shot pretty well from 3," Pickens noted. "I thought our attack of that zone was pretty good."
- The Eagles had a 41-27 rebounding advantage, and picked up 24 assists on 27 made field goals.
- Pickens is 180-20 (.900) as Ashland head coach.
UP NEXT
A week off, then at home on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (3-1, 1-0). That will be Toy Drive and Mini Cheer Day.
