LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE
The No. 11-ranked Ashland University women's basketball team finished its short two-game Michigan road trip with a 75-53 win on Saturday (Feb. 9) afternoon at Lake Superior State.
Thanks to their 57th victory in their last 60 games away from Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles are 21-2 overall and 13-2 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Saturday marked the 11th consecutive time Ashland has beaten Lake Superior state.
Saturday's victory also moved the Eagles closer to clinching a home 2019 GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal game on March 5, and they can seal that up with their next victory. Ashland has played a home quarterfinal game each of the last seven seasons.
THE TOP TEN
1. For the first time as an Eagle, sophomore forward Karlee Pireu led Ashland in scoring in a game, going for a career-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor. In her 12 career starts, Pireu has scored in double digits nine times.
2. Capping off a big week statistically was junior forward Sara Loomis, who ended Saturday's win with 12 points and 14 rebounds. In wins at Ferris State and Lake Superior State, Loomis combined for 25 points and 31 boards.
3. Senior guard Maddie Dackin moved into 18th place on Ashland's all-time scoring list thanks to her 14 points on Saturday. Dackin now has 1,092 points in her Eagle career.
4. Finally, junior guard Renee Stimpert dished out 10 assists against the Lakers, giving her seven double-digit-helper games this season. Stimpert has 557 career assists, 11 away from tying Alyssa Miller for the all-time Eagle women's basketball lead at 568.
5. Ashland's defense continues to be stellar, as LSSU made just 31.3 percent from the field and 4-of-14 from 3-point range. The Eagles have kept five straight road opponents to 43.1 percent or less from the floor.
6. The Eagles finished with a decided 37-26 rebounding advantage, and had 20 assists on 29 field goals.
7. Trailing early by an 8-5 count, Ashland ran off six consecutive points to lead 11-8. The Eagles led 20-14 at the end of the game's first 10 minutes.
8. The Eagle advantage was extended to 10 at 28-18 with 5:33 left in the first half thanks to two Pireu free throws – two of her 12 first-half points. Despite a small Laker surge, Ashland eventually took a 40-29 lead into the locker room. AU shot 50 percent from the floor and made 10-of-12 free throws in the first half, and had 10 assists on 14 made field goals.
9. Ashland continued to keep Lake Superior State at a distance, then pulled away late in the third quarter for a 58-38 advantage going into the fourth. The Eagles improved upon their first-half shooting, making 8-of-15 from the field in the third.
10. For LSSU (7-15, 2-13), Jenna Gregory scored a game-high 13 points, and Lexie Khon followed with 12.
UP NEXT
A return home to "The Kates" for a GLIAC matchup vs. Purdue Northwest (3-18, 1-14) on Thursday (Feb. 14) at 5:30 p.m.
AU
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