When you know your time is limited, what would you do to maximize the time that’s left? This past weekend, seniors Rachel Poorman and Elizabeth Tyler took matters into their own hands and completed their Ashland basketball careers with career high point totals. Poorman scored a career-high 20 points in a 66-46 victory at Ohio Dominican Thursday and Tyler notched a career-best 24 points in a 78-52 drubbing of Lake Erie Saturday.

ODU

Ashland jumped on Ohio Dominican early and never let off the accelerator Thursday night. After spotting the Panthers the first three points of the game, the Eagles led the rest of the way thanks in a larger part to Poorman’s offense, but also because of Ashland’s stingy defense. Ashland gave up just 46 points on the night, their lowest since giving up 44 points to Saginaw Valley State Dec. 20, 2008.

Poorman’s 20-point performance eclipsed her previous career-high of 19, which she set during this year’s season opener against Mercyhurst. Poorman finished the night shooting 8-for-12 from the field, while grabbing five rebounds, dishing out three assists and recording two steals.

The Eagles ended the first half on an 11-1 run, aiding in their 15-point halftime lead, as they allowed just 19 first half points, forcing the Panthers to shoot just 32 percent from the field. Ohio Dominican’s demise came from turnovers, as they committed 12 in the first half and 20 for the contest. Ashland took advantage of those miscues and scored 21 points on those turnovers.

Ohio Dominican didn’t fare much better in the second 20 minutes, as they made just nine field goals in the second half and went 2-for-11 from the three point line. For the game, the Panthers attempted 23 long range shots, converting just six, and shot just 32 percent from the field on the night.

The Eagles used their size in Daiva Gerbec to dominate the shorter and less-physical Panthers. Gerbec finished with another double-double, tallying 13 points and 15 rebounds. Gerbec helped the Eagles lead in points in the paint, 32-16. Sophomore guard Lindsay Tenyak scored 12 points and Tyler chipped in seven points, three steals and two rebounds.

The Eagles outrebounded the Panthers, 32-28, and continued to succeed at the foul line, making 19-of-22. They entered the week leading all of Division II in free throw percentage and increased their mark to 79 percent with Thursday’s effort.

Lake Erie

The Eagles picked up where they left off on Thursday with a near-perfect performance Saturday against the Storm of Lake Erie. Tyler set her career-high with 24 points, 13 of which came in the first half, and the Eagles cruised into the GLIAC tournament with a 78-52 win on Senior Day.

For Tyler, in her last game as an Eagle, she went 10-for-14 from the field and also grabbed six rebounds and assisted on three other baskets. Poorman, playing in her last game on the Kates Gymnasium floor, finished with eight points, two rebounds and two assists. Head Coach Sue Ramsey contributes the team’s success to her two seniors.

“The heart of this team has been the leadership of our two seniors,” Ramsey said. “We’ve been through a lot of things with injuries and challenges that have come our way. For us to finish the way we have, with a 17-9 record, is a tribute to the leadership of Rachel and Liz.”

Poorman and Tyler have come a long way since their freshman seasons, but Ramsey says they have earned their roles as leaders.

“They have earned the respect of this team and what they say, the team values and responds to and it’s always the right thing,” Ramsey said. “As a coach, I couldn’t be more proud or thankful to have these two ladies as the leaders of our team.”

The great leaders have always had great supporting casts, and this team is no different. Gerbec finished her brilliant sophomore campaign with her sixteenth double-double of the year, accounting for 15 points and 12 rebounds. Gerbec broke Jackie Mason’s single-season record for total rebounds (280) and is inching closer to owning the school record for rebounding average in a season of 10.2 per game. She sits now at 11.03 rebounds per game.

Tenyak and freshman forward Mikaela Lengal each scored 11 points, while freshman guard Alyssa Miller scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out a career-high 13 assists. Ramsey has seen her freshman guard progress throughout the season.

“She has risen to the occasion when Jena [Stutzman] when out, knowing that the ball is going to be in her hands now and she grows every game,” Ramsey said. “The interaction we have together has made it fun and as a coach, you want to have your point guard to be the brain trust on the floor and that’s what Alyssa is.”

The Eagles shot a blistering 52 percent from the field on Saturday, making 30 field goals while holding the Storm to just 31 percent from the field. Ashland was able to outrebound Lake Erie, 43-33 but was outrebounded 17-13 on the offensive side.

Ashland finished the regular season with a 17-9 overall record and a 12-7 conference mark. The Eagles also earned a berth in the GLIAC tournament for the fourth straight season, securing the fifth seed. The last time the Eagles won a GLIAC tournament game was in 2008, when they made it all the way to the championship game, falling to Michigan Tech, 81-53.