Top-Ranked Eagles Set GLIAC, Team Records In 61st Straight Win

LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE

There's efficiency, and then there's the efficiency Ashland University's women's basketball team displayed on Saturday (Feb. 10) afternoon.

Against Ferris State on Saturday at Kates Gymnasium, the No. 1-ranked Eagles took a 122-53 decision to improve to 24-0 overall and 16-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Not only was the win Ashland's 61^st in a row, but the 122 points set a new GLIAC single-game standard, and also represent the second-highest point total in school history (128 vs. Alderson Broaddus, 11-12-16).

In addition, Ashland set a new program record with 37 assists in a single contest.

"I thought what really stood out is we took great shots," said Ashland head coach Robyn Fralick. "I thought we shared the ball really well, and knocked them down. We were consistently getting great looks."

The Eagles entered Saturday as the only NCAA basketball team at any level, either men or women, to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line for the season. Ashland didn't hurt itself in any aspect against the Bulldogs, hitting a season-high 65.8 percent from the field, 57.1 percent from the arc and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe.

Saturday's victory has clinched a home GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal game on Feb. 28.

The Bulldogs are 13-11, 7-9.

TEN TAKEAWAYS

1. Senior forward Laina Snyder led the Eagle offense with 24 points while adding eight points, three assists, two blocks and four steals. Snyder has 2,039 career points, now just 46 away from tying Amber Rall (2,087) for the all-time program lead.

2. Ashland boasted plenty of standouts on Saturday. Junior guard Maddie Dackin scored 21 points to go with five assists, senior forward Andi Daugherty chipped in with 14 points and six assists, sophomore guard Jodi Johnson posted 13 points, four assists and six steals; sophomore guard Sarah Hart nearly had a triple-double off the bench (11 points, nine rebounds, eight assists) and sophomore guard Renee Stimpert finished with nine points, six boards and eight helpers.

"I kind of like pushing the ball up the floor," Stimpert said, "and my teammates are running, so that's our style of play. I like to play fast. My teammates are knocking down shots, and I am proud of them."

3. A fast-paced first few minutes resulted in a 13-all tie at the game's first media timeout. Coming out of the break, the Eagles finished the first quarter on a 19-2 run for a 32-15 lead.

4. In the first 10 minutes, Ashland had 12 assists on 12 field goals, and Ferris State had seven assists on seven baskets (the first unassisted basket for either side came at the 7:19 mark of the second quarter).

5. The Eagles outscored the Bulldogs by a 38-6 count to take a 49-point lead into the locker room. Ashland hit 62.8 percent from the field in the game's first 20 minutes, dishing out 23 assists on 27 buckets, and defensively, stymied FSU to the tune of 20 turnovers and a field-goal percentage of 37.5.

6. Ashland scored its 100^th point of the game early in the fourth quarter, giving the Eagles eight straight triple-digit games, an NCAA women's basketball record across all divisions. The Eagles have scored at least 100 points in 13 of the last 16 games, and 15 times overall in 2017-18. The NCAA D-II women's hoops single-game record is 18 century-mark games, set by Glenville State in 2013-14.

7. After the 13-13 tie, Ashland outscored Ferris State, 109-40, in the remainder of the game.

8. Prior to the contest, the Ashland 2016-17 D-II national-champion team was presented a declaration by Ohio State Senator Larry Obhof and 70^th District Representative Darrell Kick.

9. At halftime, former Ashland head coach Sue Ramsey and the 2012-13 D-II national-champion Eagle women's basketball team were recognized. Ramsey and the team as a whole will be inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in May.

10. For the Bulldogs, Shaniya Huggins led the way with nine points. FSU was held to 28.8-percent shooting from the floor and 1-of-18 from downtown, and turned the ball over 26 times.

UP NEXT

The start of the final regular-season road swing of 2017-18, Thursday (Feb. 15) at 8 p.m. at Grand Valley State.

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