Click here for printer-friendly (PDF) version of release

BAY CITY, Mich. - Michigan Technological University beat Ashland University 63-53 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) women's basketball tournament. Michigan Tech will now host the 2011 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Midwest Regional where their first round opponet will be Lewis on Friday March 11 at 6 pm. Fellow GLIAC member Grand Valley State University will also participate in the NCAA Midwest Regional playing Drury at 8:30 pm on March 11.

 Ashland Eagles

Ashland went 2-1 last week and advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Championship game for the fourth time in school history…sophomore forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) ended the year averaging a double-double. She averaged 15.9 ppg., and 10.7 rpg.  Gerbec established school single-season records for rebounds (311) and rebounds per game (10.7).  The sophomore was named to the GLIAC all-tournament team…the Eagles lose two seniors from this year’s team – forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) and guard Rachel Poorman (Zanesville, Ohio/Maysville).  Tyler was named to the GLIAC all-tournament team…Gerbec was named to the All-GLIAC first team and to the all-defensive team. This is her first time earning all-conference honors.  Junior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) was also named first team all-conference.  Stutzman was limited to 18 games because of a knee injury. She ended up averaging 16.2 ppg., and at the time of her injury, ranked in the GLIAC’s top three in scoring, free throw percentage and three-point field goals per game…the Eagles finished the year 19-9. That’s the most victories since AU won 19 games during the 2007-08 season.

Findlay Oilers

The Oilers had their season end with a 75-50 loss to Ashland in the quarterfinals.  Junior guard Clare Aubry scored 14 points to lead the team while junior guard Laura Bardall and sophomore guard Kendra Elam contributed nine and eight points, respectively.  Bardall was named first team all-conference while Aubry earned second team honors.

Grand Valley State Lakers

Grand Valley State takes a 20-7 record into the Midwest Regional Tournament in Houghton, Mich. at Michigan Tech this weekend (Mar. 11-14). The Lakers are the tournament’s #4 seed and will face #5 Drury on Friday night at 8:30 p.m...GVSU is making its 10th appearance in the big dance with an 11-8 overall record in postseason play. The Lakers won the 2005-06 Division II National Championship...Laker head coach Janel Burgess collected her second 20-win season in four years at GVSU. She is 0-2 against Drury, while Grand Valley State owns a 2-3 all-time record against the Panthers...The last time the two teams played was Nov. 16, 2009 in Allendale, when Drury held off GVSU in overtime by a 92-85 score. The Lakers last defeated DU on Nov. 24, 2006 by a 57-54 final in Allendale.

Hillsdale Chargers

The Hillsdale College women’s basketball team pulled out a thrilling 81-79 double-overtime win over Lake Superior State University in the first round of the 2011 GLIAC Tournament last Wednesday, before having its season ended by Michigan Tech in the tournament semifinals Saturday afternoon…It was the seventh game Hillsdale played at MTU’s SDC Gymnasium since January 2008…The Chargers have advanced to the GLIAC tournament’s second round for the third time in the past five years, and each season was an odd-numbered year…Sophomore guard Lea Jones played 50 minutes in Wednesday’s game, tying a school record originally set by Jodie Haines in a double-overtime game at Michigan Tech on Jan. 21, 2006…Jones scored a career-high 23 points in that game…Head coach Claudette Charney finishes this season with 483 career victories, standing just 17 shy of 500 heading into the 2011-12 season.

Lake Superior State Lakers

Lake Superior State’s 2010-11 season ended with an 81-79 double-overtime loss to Hillsdale during the quarterfinal round of the GLIAC Tournament. Senior guard Emily Joseph (Sterling Heights, Mich.) was named GLIAC Player of the Year, while sophomore forward Maria Blazejewski (Beulah, Mich.) was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team. Senior guard Ronlea Peterson (Midland, Mich.) earned GLIAC North Division All-Defensive Team honors for the second straight year. Joseph is the third LSSU player to earn GLIAC Player of the Year honors and one of only three Laker women to finish among the top 15 in career scoring and top 10 in assists. She finished with 1,183 career points and 440 assists, which ranks second on LSSU’s all-time assists list. Senior guard Nicole Marshall (Frankfort, Mich.), who averaged 12.3 ppg for the season, contributed 25.5 ppg during the Lakers’ last two games of the season. Junior center Cassy Schemberger (Park Falls, Wis.), who averaged 10.9 ppg and 7.8 rpg, finished the season ranked first in the GLIAC in overall field-goal percentage (.659) and sixth in rebounding.

Michigan Tech Huskies

The Michigan Tech women's basketball team cut down the nets for a GLIAC Tournament Championship for a third time in four years. Lucy Dernovsek was named GLIAC Tournament most valuable player and two other Huskies were selected to the all-tournament team. Tech has now won 13 straight games overall this season to improve to 26-2 heading into the NCAA Tournament. Dernovsek recorded 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and finished with 40 points and 35 rebounds in the tournament. Staehlin and Hoyt were the other two Huskies named to the all-tournament team. Staehlin posted 16 points and four blocks, while Hoyt added 15 points. Michigan Tech will now host the 2011 NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Midwest Regional with a first round matchup against Lewis Friday March 11 at 6 pm.

Northwood Timberwolves

The Northwood women’s basketball team saw its season come to an end in the GLIAC Semifinals with a 80-67 loss to Ashland … NU reached the semifinals thanks to a 63-39 victory over #25 Grand Valley State in the GLIAC Quarterfinals … the Timberwolves finished the season 15-12 overall, the third-most wins for Northwood at the Division II level in school history … Northwood’s win over GVSU in the GLIAC Quarterfinals was the first GLIAC Tournament victory in NU history … Brittany Gibson (Detroit, Mich./Walled Lake Northern) became the first player in Northwood history to be named GLIAC Freshman of the Year … Northwood also placed senior Pam Wilson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) on the First Team All-GLIAC as well as junior center Savannah Stedman (Ortonville, Mich./Brandon) on the Second Team All-GLIAC … Wilson finished her career ranked seventh in school history in scoring (1,315 points) and ninth in rebounding (567 rebounds) … her 456 points this season are the second most in a season for an individual in school history, trailing only Lauren Metaj’s mark of 463 in 2000-01.

  Tiffin Dragons

The Dragons fell to  Michigan Tech in their first ever GLIAC tourney appearance 58-40. Tiffin University’s record-setting 2010-11 women’s basketball season was rewarded with three selections to the All-GLIAC South Division team as announced by vote of the GLIAC women’s basketball coaches March 4. Mandy Jaeb landed her second consecutive First Team honor, as she led the team in scoring with 14.8 ppg. Jaeb, who was also among GLIAC leaders in steals, was also named to the All-Defensive team for the second year in a row. Jaeb finished sixth in overall scoring in the conference while also placing second in free throw percentage.  Earning Second Team selections were junior Jessica Harris and sophomore Karli Mast. Harris was fifth in overall rebounding in the GLIAC with 8.1 rpg while also averaging 9.4 ppg. Mast was second on the team with a 12.6 ppg average. She led the team with 50 three pointers. Her 50 treys were the fourth highest total in single season school history. The Dragons qualified for the GLIAC tourney for the first time in school history and set a school record for least turnovers with 347. Their 15 wins were the most games won since 1995, and they also led the GLIAC in steals and turnover margin. They also were among national leaders in least turnovers per game.