LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE
THE TURNING POINT: Ashland jumped out to a 12-0 lead and went on to the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference-opening win.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Eagles have scored at least 90 points in five of the first seven games of the season – or in as many games as in entire the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns combined.
Beginning the quest for continued Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference success, the No. 2-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team won 94-66 at Lake Superior State on Thursday (Dec. 1) night.
The Eagles improve to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in the GLIAC thanks to their 13th consecutive regular-season victory, while the Lakers now are 1-6, 0-1. AU's 7-0 start to the season is tied for the sixth-best beginning in program history.
Ashland has won five of the last six GLIAC South Division championships, and is the only women's basketball program in conference history to win three regular-season and tournament titles in a five-year span. Over the last five-plus seasons, the Eagles are 95-13 (.880) in GLIAC regular-season play.
As has been the case during the early part of the season, Ashland received balanced scoring. Freshman guard Jodi Johnson led the way with a career-high 17 points on 8-of-8 from the free-throw line. Johnson has hit 20 of her last 21 attempts from the foul line.
Junior forward Andi Daugherty scored 15 points, and is six points (1,042) away from tying Lisa Graue (1,048) for 18th on Ashland's all-time list. Junior forward Laina Snyder added 14 points (now 1,101 for her career), nine rebounds, seven steals, three assists and three blocks, senior guard Kelsey Peare collected 11 points, six assists and five steals and sophomore guard Maddie Dackin posted 10 points on 2-of-2 from the field and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe.
The Eagles hit 53.1 percent from the field, 46.7 percent from the 3-point line and 82.6 percent from the free-throw line, while collecting 24 assists on 34 field goals. The Lakers turned the ball over 31 times, leading to 35 AU points.
Ashland began the game with a 12-0 lead before Lake Superior State could get off a shot from the field. The Eagles led 22-9 after the first quarter, 52-29 at halftime and 71-47 after three quarters en route to the victory.
At the beginning of the week, the Eagles had the most wins in NCAA Division II since the start of the 2011-12 season (150), and the country's second-best cumulative winning percentage in the same span (.867).
Ashland has won 23 of its last 27 games away from Kates Gymnasium.
UP NEXT: Saturday (Dec. 3) at 1 p.m. at Northwood (3-1, 1-0).
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