After weathering through a back-and-forth first ten minutes, Ashland’s top-ranked women’s basketball team left Kentucky Wesleyan in the dust in its home opener at Kates Gymnasium, 92-56.

The Eagles used a 28-8 run over the last 9:32 of the first half to turn a 16-16 tie into a 44-24 advantage and carried that momentum through the rest of the game.

“There’s a level of intensity that our team maintains,” AU head coach Sue Ramsey said. “Today, I was really pleased because even when we subbed, we increased it… Eventually, teams just wear down.”

Senior guard Lindsay Tenyak came out on fire, hitting five of her first seven shots from the field. She scored 15 of Ashland’s first 18 points after the Panthers jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

“It can be anybody at any time, and I was really happy she did what we needed her to do,” Ramsey said.

Tenyak led the team with 17 points in the first half and finished with 19 points, two assists and two rebounds.

Her layup—off of a feed from junior guard Alyssa Miller—to put Ashland up 18-16 with 9:32 to play in the first half sparked the run that wound up putting the game out of reach before halftime.

A post-up from senior forward Kari Daugherty, two jumpers by Miller and four quick points by junior forward Daiva Gerbec made for an 11-2 run over a span of less than four minutes. The Eagles just kept piling it on from there.

“We know what works for us,” Ramsey said. “We need to move the basketball.”

Daugherty, who came in averaging 29 points and 16 rebounds, had a double double by halftime with 11 and 10. She finished with 20 points and 15 boards, both game-highs.

Gerbec was a force down low as well, adding 12 points and six rebounds. The Eagles dominated on the glass, out-rebounding the Panthers 47-28.

The game never looked to be in doubt in the second half. Ashland began the period on a 12-3 run, sharing the ball the way Ramsey’s teams are known for. All 11 Eagles that played scored.

“We played a lot of different combinations of people, and I was really, really pleased that the play didn’t let up,” she said.

Sophomore guard Taylor Woods led the team in assists with six despite sitting out much of the first half with two fouls. She also scored seven points.

Miller had nine points and five assists and junior guard Noelle Yoder added eight points, going two-for-four from behind the 3-point line.

Ashland shot 54.5 percent from the field (36 of 66) and was nine of 10 from the free throw line.

Karly Rhoads and Jordan Ogle led the Panthers in scoring, each dropping in 10.

Along with the team, the crowd picked up right where it left off in March, getting loud during introductions and carrying their support throughout the game.

“You could just feel it,” Ramsey said. “They’re yelling, they know us and that’s very special.”