Despite a 31-7 second quarter, the No. RV Ashland University women's basketball team needed overtime to top California (Pa.) on the road on Monday (Dec. 1) night, 77-74.
The Eagles' third straight win moves them to 4-2, while the Vulcans are 3-6.
Monday night marked the first time Ashland's women have won an OT contest since Nov. 23, 2022 at Drury.
Halfway through the first half of the first quarter, the Eagles led the Vulcans 5-2. California, however, went on a 15-4 run to end the initial period – leaving it with a 17-9 lead.
Twelve straight points over the first four minutes of the second stanza put Ashland up by four at 21-17, punctuated by a 3-point field goal by junior guard
Gia Casalinova.
Freshman forward
Jenna Slates, the newly-minted Great Midwest Athletic Conference women's basketball Athlete of the Week, and sophomore guard
Corri Vermilya began to take over to end the first half. Ashland went into the locker room leading 40-24, as Vermilya racked up 18 points in 12 minutes, and Slates came up with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Ashland made 75.0 percent from the field (12-for-16) in the second quarter, while California missed 10 of 12 from the floor (16.7 percent).
The Vulcans began the second half by scoring the first eight points and cutting their deficit in half, but heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles' lead was 11 points at 50-39.
Cal outscored AU 12-5 to begin the fourth quarter, and the Vulcans trailed just 55-51 inside of the six-minute mark. It was a three-point contest at 57-54 before Vermilya's layup put Ashland back up by five with 3½ minutes left.
At 59-58 with 12 seconds left, the Eagles needed one last defensive play. Cal, however, scored on a jumper with four seconds to go.
Then, with a tick to go, Slates was fouled in the act of shooting. She split the charity tosses to send the game to overtime.
Sophomore point guard
Ashley Mullet's old-fashioned 3-point play put AU up 65-62 early in the extra period, then Mullet's two freebies made it a 71-66 game. Mullet then stole the ball with her team leading by two, leading to senior guard
Alysa Lopez's two made free throws.
Slates gave Ashland a five-point lead at 75-70 with a layup with 26 seconds remaining in OT. The Vulcans then traveled with two seconds left with a chance to win at the end, then junior guard
Lexi Howe's two charity tosses clinched the victory.
THE REST OF THE STORY
- Vermilya led all scorers with 23 points while adding seven rebounds, and Slates ended with a career-high 21 points and a near-career-high 15 rebounds.
- Lopez came off the bench for 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
- The Eagles out-rebounded the Vulcans, 50-42.
NEXT UP
The beginning of 2025-26 Great Midwest play on Thursday (Dec. 4) at 5:30 p.m. vs. Cedarville (3-3).
