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Ashland-Northwood
Scouting Report |
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The Timberwolves come to Ashland
trying to break out of a three-game losing streak. All of
those setbacks have come against Great Lakes Valley Conference
schools – Wisconsin-Parkside, Southern Indiana and
Northern Kentucky. NU’s last game was a 57-51 loss to
Northern Kentucky. Northwood is under the direction of
first-year head coach Jeff Curtis. He spent the last four
seasons as an assistant with the NU men’s program.
Two NU players are scoring in double
digits. Maureen Elliott, a 5-7 junior guard, is 11th in the
league in scoring (14.2 ppg.). Payge Salquist, a 5-10 junior
guard-forward, is 10th in the conference in rebounding (7.5
rpg.), third in blocked shots per game (1.25) and is averaging
11.7 ppg. |
Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005
Northwood (5-7/2-2) at Ashland (8-5/2-3)
Kates Gymnasium, 5:30 p.m.
Game Overview
If the Ashland University Eagles can get some “shut eye,”
maybe they can open some eyes.
The Eagles returned home from Monday night’s
game at Michigan Tech mid-morning Tuesday. If such a thing as “bus
lag” exists, the Eagles have it. But, there’s no time to
feel sorry for themselves, the Eagles have to prepare for
Northwood. AU lost at Michigan Tech, 62-49 and that ended a
four-game Ashland winning streak. This could be an opportune time
to climb back into the win column, the Eagles play five of their
next seven games at home, including two in a row beginning with
the Northwood game.
AU Head Coach Sue Ramsey
Ramsey’s career record is 233-250. Her record at AU is
138-122. She is AU’s career leader in wins. This is her 10th
season on campus and she has led the Eagles to 16 or more wins in
a season five times. A year ago, she directed the Eagles to a 23-8
finish and AU’s first-ever berth in the NCAA Division II
playoffs.
Ashland-Northwood
It’s been all Ashland in this series as the all-time series
leans in the Eagles’ favor, 9-0. The teams tangled in
Midland, MI, last season and the Eagles left town with a 72-56
win. The last meeting between the schools in Ashland was in
2002-2003 and AU held off the ‘Wolves in overtime, 86-71. AU
has held Northwood to less than 60 points in four of the last five
meetings.
In last year’s game, AU forced 31 NU
turnovers and enjoyed a 32-13 spread in points off of turnovers.
Guard Isolina Brescia had 18 points, five rebounds and five
steals. Forward Beth Everman (Maria Stein, OH/Marion Local)
recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds and guard-forward Dee
Bethune (Akron, OH/Hoban) fired in 14 points. For Northwood,
Devon Hillstrom, Porsche Reaves and Brittany Stedman had 13 points
apiece.
About Ashland
AU is second in the GLIAC in field goal percentage (.467) and
rebounding margin (+6.8). The Eagles are third in scoring (75.0
ppg.), but Monday night’s point total (49) is the lowest
since AU scored 48 points at Findlay during the 2001-2002 season…sophomore
guard Amber Rall (Bucyrus, OH/Wynford) is third in the
GLIAC in scoring (17.5 ppg.) and free throw percentage (.857) and
fifth in assists per game (3.69)…senior center Jackie
Mason (Olmsted Falls, OH) is the league leader in blocked
shots per game (3.77/48 blocks). Mason is third in field goal
percentage (.630) and fifth in rebounding (8.5 rpg.)…very
quietly, sophomore forward Catherine Portyrata (North Canton,
OH/Hoover) has become a factor on both ends of the floor. The
transfer from Wright State is fifth in the GLIAC in field goal
percentage (.595) and ninth in rebounding (7.5 rpg.). Portyrata
has thrived coming off the bench, she’s started only three
games this season…Everman, a senior, posted
her second double-double of the campaign at Rio Grande (Dec. 28).
Everman hit 9-of-13 shots from the floor and finished with 19
points and 13 rebounds. Everman had a team-high nine rebounds at
MTU. She’s sixth in the GLIAC in field goal percentage
(.567)...Ashland has outrebounded all of its last six opponents by
at least six rebounds…AU is shooting just 29 percent from
three-point range (46-158), but senior guard-forward Angie
Heintz (Cincinnati, OH/Mother of Mercy) is fifth in the
conference in three-point field goal percentage (.410/16-39).
Up Next
Ashland will host Lake Superior State on Monday (Jan. 10, 5:30
p.m.). Both AU and Lake Superior State advanced to the NCAA
Division II regional tournament a year ago. |
