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For the fourth season in a row, Ashland University's women's basketball team will play an exhibition game against a Division I opponent.
On Nov. 4, the Eagles will go to West Lafayette, Ind., for an exhibition vs. Purdue.
"Purdue just got done having a phenomenal season," said Ashland head coach Kari Pickens. "It's always great for us to be able to go and be challenged by a Big Ten school. It will give our girls a good test for where we're at. It's exciting to go play in that environment."
Prior to the 2015-16 season, Ashland won an exhibition at Bowling Green, 59-53. Before starting the last two regular seasons, the Eagles went to Columbus, Ohio, for preseason games against Ohio State (88-79 loss in 2016, 110-80 loss in 2017). Also last season, Ashland traveled to Storrs, Conn., for a 119-56 exhibition defeat vs. perennial D-I power Connecticut.
In 2017-18, Ashland finished 36-1 overall and 20-0 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, winning both the GLIAC regular-season and tournament titles for the third season in a row. The Eagles played in the NCAA Division II national championship game for the fourth time in the last seven seasons, losing to Central Missouri, 66-52.
Last season, the Boilermakers went 20-14 overall and 9-7 in the Big Ten. Purdue lost in the first round of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament, and went 2-1 in the Women's NIT.
Game time and ticket information for the Ashland-Purdue exhibition will be announced at a later date.
Pickens said a potential second exhibition game for 2018-19, as well as choosing an assistant coach and graduate assistant coach, all are in process.
"I would love to have another exhibition game," Pickens said.
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