Ashland University's women's basketball team outscored Findlay 22-13 in the fourth quarter on Monday (Jan. 5) night, as the Eagles topped the Oilers, 77-71, in a Great Midwest Athletic Conference match-up at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
The program's 500
th all-time regular-season conference victory, Ashland improves to 7-5 overall and 3-3 in the Great Midwest thanks to its 36
th consecutive January win. Findlay is 5-7, 1-4.
"I think our team is continuing to take shape," said Ashland head coach
Kari Pickens, "as we figure out new lineups, as we figure out different rotations, and it's really cool to see so many different being willing step up when their name's called.
"A really gritty win."
A hot shooting pace early for both teams resulted in a 15-15 tie at the game's first media timeout, following a 7-0 Ashland spurt. Findlay, however, scored the first six points out of the stoppage – but the Eagles rallied to make it a 22-19 Oiler advantage through one.
An early-second-quarter surge gave Ashland its biggest lead to that point at 31-24, then the Eagles went up by eight at 40-32 following back-to-back 3-point field goals from freshman forward
Joplin Yoder.
By halftime, Ashland boasted a 42-35 lead – thanks in major part to making 9-of-15 treys and dishing off 13 assists to just two turnovers.
The Eagles' first double-digit lead came early in the second half at 46-36, but the Oilers worked that deficit down to 48-44 – leading to an AU timeout at the 5:39 mark of the third quarter.
Findlay went on top 53-52 in the last two minutes of the third, and going into the final stanza, the Eagles trailed, 58-55. Ashland, however, retook the lead early in the fourth, but the Oilers rallied to knot the score at 64-all.
With the scoreboard showing matching 66s, Ashland ran off five points in a row. Findlay, however, did the same – tying the game going into the last two minutes of regulation. Freshman forward
Jenna Slates' free throw put the Eagles on top once again, then senior guard
Alysa Lopez's jumper in the lane allowed AU to go up by three with 21.7 ticks to go.
An Oiler travel gave the Eagles the ball back, then Lopez made 1-of-2 at the line for a 75-71 lead. A blocked shot, and two free throws from sophomore point guard
Ashley Mullet, finished off the win.
MANY CONTRIBUTIONS ONCE AGAIN
- Ten of the 11 Eagles who played on Monday night scored, led by 12 points each from Slates, Lopez and redshirt freshman forward Kyra Hill, who set a career high in a second straight game.
- Mullet rounded out four AU players in double figures with 10 points.
- Junior guard Gia Casalinova added six points in 13 minutes off the bench.
- "Gia was unbelievable down the stretch, on both ends of the floor," said Pickens. "It's the Gia that we've been waiting for this whole year."
- The Eagles recorded a season-high 18 assists with a season-low five turnovers. AU also scored 19 points off 12 Oiler turnovers.
- "I couldn't ask much more from the team on the offensive side," Pickens said.
- Ashland made 50 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from 3-point range.
COMING UP
The start of a four-game road swing on Thursday (Jan. 8) at 5:30 p.m. at Lake Erie (3-9. 2-4).
"It's going to be good for our team," Pickens said. "We need to learn how to win on the road."
