The 2011-12 Ashland women’s basketball season has been one to remember. Currently ranked No. 4 in the nation, the team has won 26 straight games and shows no signs of slowing down. The Eagles reached their goal of winning the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association tournament and over the next few days will host the NCAA Midwest Regional tournament.

These are games that should be savored and remembered by everyone in the Ashland community. Remember the great plays. Remember the high fives. Remember the milestones. Most of all, savor the moments that make this team so much fun to watch.

After going down 5-2 in the opening minutes against Maryville, the Eagles settled down and played the beautiful basketball that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing. They buckled down in the half court on defense, got out in transition for easy baskets and picked the Saints apart with their precise, unselfish passes. They went on a 21-0 run over a seven minute stretch and went into halftime with a 47-25 lead.

Scores on three straight possessions to start the second half (Ashley Dorner fade-away from 12 feet, Jena Stutzman 3-pointer, Dorner layup) widened the lead to 54-27 and seemed to kill the Saints’ spirits. The game became less of a competition and more of an exhibition.

Maryville knew the game was decided and the fans in Kates Gymnasium did as well, so you can hardly blame the Eagles if they played with a little less intensity than they started the game with. However, with 11:28 to go and Ashland up 65-38, that is exactly what head coach Sue Ramsey did.

With the gym quiet, Ramsey slammed her stool on the hardwood floor and gave her team a mouthful for the entire length of the under-12 minute media timeout.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Ramsey said after the game, laughing. “I think I hurt my hand this time.”

Maryville had cranked up their defensive pressure, cutting off the Eagles’ passing lanes, which had led to several careless turnovers by AU and easy points for the Saints.

“I really wanted to make sure that we were matching their physicality as well as just not being careless with the ball,” Ramsey said. “I just got their attention.”

It worked. The Eagles came out of the timeout with more urgency, grabbing two offensive rebounds and forcing three Maryville turnovers before the next media timeout at the 7:07 mark.

Any coach can yell at her team when it is down by 27, but to yell at a team that is up by that much means something. It is a sign of a great coach. It is also a sign of a great team. Good teams coast to blowout wins. Great teams play with the same intensity for 40 minutes, no matter what the score is. With 11:28 to go in a blowout, Ramsey was reminding her team that they can be great. With the outcome already decided, her team chose to respond. Greatness knows no satisfaction until the final buzzer sounds.