ASHLAND CROWNED 2016 GLIAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS
ASHLAND, Ohio -- Ashland University's women's basketball team won its third Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship in the last five seasons on Sunday (March 6).
In doing so, the Eagles made some GLIAC history.
No. 5-ranked Ashland (30-1) defeated Grand Valley State (22-9), 70-53, in the GLIAC Tournament championship game on Sunday afternoon at Kates Gymnasium – and became the first GLIAC women's basketball team since tournament play began in 1991 to win both the conference's regular-season and tourney titles three times in a five-year period.
"It's unbelievable. I'm just so happy for the team," said Ashland head coach Robyn Fralick. "They've worked really hard, and these are some of the rewards they're getting. It was really special that we could be at Kates to celebrate."
The Eagles have won 29 consecutive games at home. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, Ashland is 87-10 (.897) at "The Kates," and 162-32 (.835) overall. (courtesy of Dusty Sloan, Ashland Sports Information Director)
GLIAC TOURNAMENT ONLINE STORE
2016 GLIAC Women's Basketball Tournament
QUARTERFINALS (Tuesday, March 1) at higher seed campus sites
Game 1 (5:30 PM): No. 1 Ashland 68 def. No. 8 Northern Michigan 54 - BOX SCORE
Game 2 (7:00 PM): No. 4 Walsh 68 def. No. 5 Ohio Dominican 62 - BOX SCORE
Game 3 (6:00 PM): No. 6 Grand Valley State 65 def. No. 3 Michigan Tech 63 (OT) - BOX SCORE
Game 4 (6:00 PM): No. 2 Saginaw Valley 63 def. No. 7 Northwood 40 - BOX SCORE
SEMIFINALS (Saturday, March 5) hosted by Ashland University
Game 5: No. 1 Ashland 68 def. No. 4 Walsh 59 - BOX SCORE | VIDEO
Notes: Eagles finish game on a 10-0 run to compete 4th quarter comeback. AU's Andi Daugherty recorded 23 points on 8-of- 13 shooting and six rebounds as Ashland went 26-of-34 from the foul line compared to just 7-for-9 for the Cavaliers.
Game 6: No. 6 Grand Valley State 76 def. No. 2 Saginaw Valley 51 - BOX SCORE | VIDEO
Notes: GVSU hit on 11-of-15 shots, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc in the first quarter to take a commanding 27-9 lead and never looked back. The Lakers shot 50 percent from the field along with 11 triples and received 33 points from the GV bench.
FINALS (Sunday, March 6) hosted by Ashland University
Game 7: No. 1 Ashland 70 def. No. 6 Grand Valley State 53 - BOX SCORE | VIDEO | AU RECAP
Notes: The top-seeded Ashland Eagles jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the early stages of the first quarter and never looked back on their way to their 30th victory of the year and third GLIAC Tournament title in program history. AU connected on 8-of-12 shots in the early stages of the contest to gain momentum early, while GVSU struggled out of the gates going 1-of-10. Ashland outrebounded GV by a 44-28 margin and shot 43.1 percent from the field, while limiting the Lakers to just 29.6 shooting on the afternoon. AU sophomore Andi Daugherty led all scorers with 17 points playing through foul trouble along with 10 rebounds, while McKenzie Miller notched 12 of her own and Laina Snyder pulled down 10 boards. First-year head coach Robyn Fralick and her squad will more than likely host the 2016 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Midwest Regional.
2016 GLIAC Women's Basketball All-Tournament Team
Most Valuable Player: Andi Daugherty - Ashland
Laina Snyder - Ashland
Alex Henning - Ashland
Janae Langs - Grand Valley State
Taylor Lutz - Grand Valley State
Jalynn Graham - Walsh
Katelyn Carriere - Saginaw Valley
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OTHER: REGION RANKINGS | GLVC TOURNAMENT | SELECTION SHOW
The 2016 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Show will take place on Sunday, March 6th at 10 PM on NCAA.com.