LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE
THE TURNING POINT: A 12-0 Ashland run following a 10-10 tie in the first quarter.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Eagles scored at least 100 points for the fifth time in 2016-17, and the second game in a row for the second time this season.
After finishing non-conference and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division play with no losses, Ashland University's women's basketball team has begun GLIAC South action the same way.
The top-ranked Eagles took a 101-62 decision from Ohio Dominican on Thursday (Jan. 12) night at Kates Gymnasium, improving to 17-0 overall and 9-0 in the GLIAC in the process. With the victory, Ashland has a four-game lead in the South with 11 regular-season games to play.
The Panthers are 10-6, 5-4.
"ODU's a really good team," said Ashland head coach Robyn Fralick, who has started her head-coaching career having won 48 of her first 50 games. "We play similar styles, very up-tempo. I thought we had a great start, especially our second quarter. I thought we did a good job defending, getting into our traps and then getting great shots in that quarter.
"It was a great start in the South. We know each other really, really well. What we were most proud of is we played really hard."
Ashland, which started the day as one of five undefeated teams in NCAA Division II, has won 92 of its last 101 games (.911) at home, and has won 35 straight regular-season games at "The Kates." The Eagles also have won 25 GLIAC regular-season home games in a row, one short of the program record of 26 set from Feb. 3, 2011-Dec. 16, 2013.
Junior forward/center Laina Snyder led five Eagles in double-digit scoring with 24 points to go with six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and five steals. Snyder passed Sue Rupp to move into eighth place on AU's all-time scoring list, and now has 1,287 career points, and she passed Alanna Buurma to move into fifth place on Ashland's all-time rebound list at 761.
Junior forward Julie Worley came off the bench for 16 points, senior guard Kelsey Peare added 12 points, sophomore guard Maddie Dackin came off the pine for 11 and junior forward Andi Daugherty chipped in with 10, leaving her at 1,198 career points, two behind Gail Wasmus for 14th place in AU history.
Ashland was 17-for-19 from the free-throw line, and had 27 assists on 39 field goals. Defensively, the Eagles held the Panthers to 32.9-percent shooting from the field and 4-of-19 from the 3-point line, while forcing 31 turnovers.
Ashland has scored at least 75 points in all 17 games this season.
The Eagles led 8-2 early before the Panthers put together their own 8-2 run. Ashland, however, scored 12 consecutive points en route to a 24-16 lead after the first quarter. A 26-18 AU lead eventually became 55-25 at the half.
Ashland began Thursday having the most wins (160) and the best winning percentage (.874) in NCAA Division II since the start of the 2011-12 season. The 17-0 start is the program's third-best all-time, only behind starts in 2012-13 (24-0) and 2015-16 (21-0).
UP NEXT: The end of a four-game homestand on Saturday (Jan. 14) at 1 p.m. against Hillsdale.
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