The No.5 ranked Ashland University women’s basketball team captured the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Sunday at Kates Gymnasium, defeating Grand Valley State, 70-53. 

“It’s unbelievable (winning the conference tournament),” AU head coach Robyn Fralick said. “I’m just so happy for the team. They’ve worked really hard, and these are some of the rewards they are getting. I’m just really happy for what our team’s given to this journey, and it was really special that we could be at Kates to celebrate.”

This marks the third time in the last five years that AU (30-1) has won the conference tournament. 

The game started off slow, with Ashland leading 4-3 three minutes into the game.

Andi Daugherty then scored 10 consecutive unanswered points for the Eagles, allowing them to take a quick 14-3 lead.

Daugherty led all scorers in the game with 17 points. She also added 10 rebounds.

Defense played a big role for Ashland early on. The Eagles held GVSU (22-9) to 2 of 11 shooting from the field in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, AU went on another 10-0 run. The run extended their lead to 36-16.

The difference in the first half between the two teams was the two 10-0 spurts by Ashland, as the Eagles went into the locker room ahead, 40-21

Midway through the third quarter, Grand Valley used an 11-2 run to pull to within 12 points of the Eagles.

Ashland responded with a 14-2 run of their own, extending their lead back out to 24 points. The Eagles headed into the final stanza ahead, 58-36.

Grand Valley used a 12-0 run halfway through the fourth quarter to cut the Eagles’ lead back down to 12 points with around three minutes remaining.

There was not enough time remaining on the clock, though, for the Lakers to complete the upset attempt.

McKenzie Miller scored 12 points, and added three rebounds. Laina Snyder added eight points and 10 rebounds. Brooke Smith chipped in nine points on 3 of 3 shooting from the 3-point line.  Alex Henning added nine points and six rebounds, while Julie Worley contributed six points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Eagles now wait until 10 p.m. Sunday night to find out whether or not they will host the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament at Kates Gymnasium. The March 2 Regional Rankings had Ashland as the No. 1 seed, and Lewis University (Illinois) as the No. 2 seed.

However, Lewis fell to Quincy University (Illinois) in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals on Saturday, which should secure Ashland’s bid to host the Midwest Regionals. 

The last time the Eagles hosted the Midwest Regionals, they went on to win the National Championship. That was in 2013.