LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE
If it's hard to beat a team three times in a season, what is the word to use in trying to beat a team four times in one campaign?
For the No. 1-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team, the word would be "done."
On Saturday (March 10) night in the second 2018 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinal at Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles (33-0) defeated Grand Valley State (26-7) for the fourth time in 2017-18, 80-68, to move on to the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last four years, and the fifth time in program history.
"Classic March Madness," said Eagle head coach Robyn Fralick, now 101-2 (.981) in her career. "Grand Valley State is a great team, and I give coach (Mike) Williams a lot of credit, because to make it back and have the sort of season they've had with five new starters…they're really good, they're really well-coached.
"I was proud of our team's fight."
This marks the first time in Ashland's 51 seasons that it has beaten a team four time in the same season. The Eagles have won nine consecutive matchups with the Lakers.
TEN TAKEAWAYS
1. Ashland's winning streak has moved to 70 games, tying Connecticut's women for the fifth-longest in NCAA basketball history, regardless of level or gender. During that streak, seven wins vs. GVSU accounts for 10 percent of the total.
2. The Eagles also improved on the best NCAA Division II postseason winning percentage of any program with at least 25 games, moving to 23-5 (.821).
3. In scoring a team-high 20 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor, senior forward Laina Snyder became the first player in program history to post at least 2,200 career points (2,218). In scoring 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting (3-of-4 from 3-point range), sophomore guard Jodi Johnson moved into 18th place on Ashland's all-time scoring list with 1,078 points.
4. All five of Ashland's starters scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Renee Stimpert scored 19 points, while senior forward Andi Daugherty and junior guard Maddie Dackin each added 11. Daugherty tied her sister, current Ashland associate head coach Kari Pickens, for third on Ashland's all-time rebounds list with 903.
5. Ashland forced 30 turnovers in the victory, turning them into 38 points. In four meetings this season, the Eagles turned the Lakers over a total of 104 times.
"That's our style of play, and we've stuck with it all year," Fralick said. "Being able to force 30 turnovers tonight was good."
6. Both Daugherty and Stimpert tied the AU NCAA Tournament record for steals in a game with four, one night after Johnson did so vs. Hillsdale. Ashland set a new single-game program tourney record by hitting 54.2 percent from the field, as well as pilfering 18 steals.
7. Two late-quarter runs guided the Eagles to victory. Grand Valley led 31-30 in the final minute of the second quarter before Ashland scored six straight points to take a five-point lead into halftime. At the end of the third, leading 49-45 into the final 90 seconds, the Eagles' 9-3 spurt made it a 58-48 advantage heading into the fourth.
"I thought the run right before half was critical," Fralick said. "It was a game of back-and-forth, back-and-forth. That gave us a lot of momentum going into halftime."
8. After hitting 16-of-35 (45.7 percent) from the field in the first half, Ashland made 16-of-24 (75 percent) from the floor in the second half.
9. Another key for the Eagles in the second half was shot selection. Ashland took 16 shots from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes, and only 10 in the second 20 minutes. For the game, AU was 26-for-33 (78.8 percent) from inside the 3-point line.
10. For the Lakers, center Cassidy Boensch led all scorers with 27 points and added nine rebounds. GVSU shot 61.4 percent from the floor, and had a 29-17 rebounding advantage.
UP NEXT
The 2018 Midwest Regional championship game at home on Monday (March 12) at 7 p.m. vs. No. 3-ranked Drury (31-2).
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