The Ashland University women’s basketball team took on the University of Findlay Oilers in its first GMAC matchup of the season.

Eagles star forward Annie Roshak did not make the trip with the team, leaving a loaded and deep roster with a large hole to fill. Forward Hayley Smith was the Eagle awarded the start from Head Coach Kari Pickens, after coming off the bench in the first 6 games in the 2022 campaign.

Smith got off to a red-hot start with a number of offensive rebounds and put back points for the Eagles. Morgan Yoder also got the Eagle backcourt going with 2 three-point shots in the opening minutes.

At the end of a quarter of play, the Eagles sat at a 4-point deficit, after Chloe Callahan and Kate Ellis led the way for the Oilers shooting 60% as a team in the first frame.

The Eagles mirrored their 1st quarter performance shooting just under 50% in both the first and second quarters and scoring 18 points. Coach Pickens deployed the effective full-court trap in the second and held the Oilers to only 13 points.

The score going into the locker room was 36-35 in favor of the Eagles. The shorthanded Eagles, although playing an unranked team, were content with being only up one at the half, down their star player.

Coming out of the break, the Eagles and the Oilers went back and forth in the third quarter scoring 17 points each. Against a tired Oiler defense Zoe Miller, another Eagle forward started to employ her will, getting to the line seemingly almost every time down the floor. Miller finished with 10 free throw attempts in the game.

In the 4th quarter, the Eagles defense started to lock it down against the Oiler offense allowing only 9 points in the final 10 minutes of the game.

The Eagles put a bow on the win with a Hayley Smith layup with 17 seconds left and the game went final at 73-61.

The Eagles were led by Morgan Yoder scoring 17 points on 5-9 3-point scoring. Conversely, the Oilers were led by Chloe Callahan in the points column with 16.

The Eagles will have their second GMAC matchup of the season this Saturday with the Tiffin Dragons, with tipoff set for 1 pm from Kates Gymnasium.