Another game, another win for the Ashland University women’s basketball team. After taking home the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) championship in two straight seasons, the Eagles are looking to take home the team’s third in the 2023-24 campaign.
On Saturday, Dec. 2, the Eagles put the conference on note that they are barreling toward another successful season after taking down the Walsh University Cavaliers on the road, 102-40. With stifling defense and consistent offense, the Eagles were able to easily blow past the Cavaliers to improve the team’s record on the season to 7-0.
In the first half, the Eagles went up early, 3-2, after guard Morgan Yoder drilled an open three-pointer to get things rolling for the away team.
They would go on to score the next 23 points straight as an onslaught of three-pointers rained in from the guards of Yoder, Savaya Brockington, Erin Daniels and Lexi Howe led the Eagles. That lead would only flourish heading into the second period as they led 26-2.
Through the remainder of the first half, the Eagles thrived on the offensive side of things with the team’s scoring run ending with 30 points straight. They would head into halftime with a 52-10 lead, the most points they have scored in the first half all season.
At the halftime break, Head Coach Kari Pickens just wanted to see her squad continue to move the ball well and hit the shots they had in the first half.
“There are obviously times you shoot the ball well,” she said. “The girls are playing confidently. It was next player up mentality and a lot of people got involved.”
In the second half, the Eagles would continue where they left off and produced similar offensive production as they had in the first 20 minutes of action. Pickens also decided to dive deeper into her rotation and give freshmen the oppurtunity to play, with forward Kylie Leibacher recording six points on 3-of-5 from the field.
The third quarter would see the Eagles outscore the Cavaliers, 20-13, with the Cavaliers scoring more points in that quarter alone then they did in the entire first half.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 72-23. With the game put to bed, Pickens would continue to give time to underclassmen and rotational pieces.
The freshmen duo of Leibacher and Katelyn Harabedian would find time on the court, alongide freshman guard Gia Casalinova who knocked down two three pointers and dished off one assist. Off the bench, foward Molly Dever also got involved, finding herself five points and five rebounds.
As the game came to a close, the Eagles were sitting with just above a 67% field goal percentage, which would be the best in program history. However, the team would miss two shots in the dying embers of the contest, falling just short of setting a new record for field goal percentage in a game.
To finish, the Eagles waltzed away with a 102-40 victory with a 65.5% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc. The team was led by a 17-point performance from Daniels who knocked down five three pointers, hauled in four rebounds and dished off three assists.
“I am so happy for Erin. She has shot the ball so well in practice throughout this year and it hadn’t translated into the game yet up until this week,” said Pickens. “She was working through a slump and trying to find a rhythm. She found a lot of confidence today.”
Outside of Daniels, the Eagles saw Yoder and Annie Roshak finish the contest with 12 points a piece. Forwards Zoe Miller and Sarah McKee combined for 21 points as well.
The win improves the teams record to 7-0 on the season and 2-0 in conference play while moving the team’s current winning streak to 44 games straight
The Eagles next look to take on the Thomas More Saints on Saturday, Dec. 9, with tip-off set for 1:00 P.M. on the road.
