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Well-Balanced Eagles
Too Much for SVSU |
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Ashland University doesn’t offer intercollegiate gymnastics, but the AU women’s basketball team put together a near-perfect “10” performance Thursday (Jan. 13) at Saginaw Valley State’s J.E. O’Neill Arena. The Eagles didn’t walk the balance beam, but they certainly made the SVSU Cardinals walk the plank. Ten AU players scored at least one point and no one played more than 27 minutes as the Eagles overwhelmed Saginaw Valley State, 91-50. The win gives Ashland a 10-6 record, 4-4 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play. SVSU is 4-9 and 1-6 in the conference. Ashland outrebounded the Cardinals, 59-30 and had a 46-4 edge in points in the paint. In points off of turnovers, AU led, 30-13. The Eagles shot 50.7 percent (34-of-67) and defensively, covered every option the Cardinals had. SVSU shot 25 percent (16-of-64) from the field. The Eagles, led, 21-2 with 8:24 to play in the first half. At halftime Ashland had a 41-19 lead. The 50 points the Eagles allowed is their best defensive showing since giving up 49 points against St. Vincent in the second game of the 2002-03 season. AU has held two of its last three opponents to less than 60 points. Junior guard-forward Dee Bethune led the Eagles with 16 points. Sophomore forward Catherine Portyrata came off the bench to score 14 points. Sophomore guard Amber Rall, the GLIAC’s third leading scorer at 18.2 ppg., had 11 points. Senior forward Beth Everman and junior center Nicole Wright both scored 10 points. Everman and senior guard-forward Angie Heintz shared top rebounding honors with eight boards each. Heintz also had eight assists. Jessica Wilson’s 19 points led Saginaw Valley State. The Eagles’ next assignment is a non-conference game at Central State on Jan. 19. |