COLUMBUS – The Ashland University women’s basketball team completed a dream season on Friday night.
The Eagles smacked Virginia Union 93-77 on Friday night before a sellout crowd in the NCAA Division II national championship game. That decision finished a perfect 37-0 season for the nation’s No. 1-ranked team — who lived up to that billing all season long.
“This national championship began in March of last year, when we ended our tournament,” junior forward Laina Snyder said. “Looking at the schedule I knew going in there was nobody on that schedule that we couldn’t beat. We’ve got an amazing team and we’ve got amazing coaches. I wouldn’t have been surprised (to go undefeated) because this is what we expected out of ourselves and this is what we set our goals to be.”
The Eagles fell in the regional last year to Drury. That disappointment seemed like a distant memory when coach Robyn Fralick’s team was cutting down the nets at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus.
“What we talked about before the game was the reason we’re here is because of love,” Fralick said. “This team has loved each other really well. They’ve loved committing to something bigger than themselves, and there’s just so many things that aligned about them that were good.
“To experience this with this group, that has done so many things right, not even just basketball, just with the way they live and the way they treat each other, just makes it really, really rewarding.”
The title was the second for AU in five seasons. The Eagles won the crown in 2013 after a runner-up finish in 2012.
Hundreds of Ashland University fans were turned away from the arena before the game as thousands made the trek down I-71. Those who got inside created a sea of purple and gold that fervently cheered for the Eagles.
The Panthers ran off five straight points to take a 16-14 lead early. But freshman Jodi Johnson knocked down a trey from the corner that spurred a 10-2 Eagle spree that led to an Ashland lead of 24-20 after one quarter.
The Panthers spurted again, scoring the first seven points of the second before Johnson hit another three to end that streak. The Eagles led through the rest of the half and owned a 47-42 margin going into the half.
Late in the third quarter AU turned on the pressure, leading to six free throws and a 68-58 lead at the end of the third. A layup by Henning and another three by Johnson – the 10th of the game for AU – gave the Eagles a 73-58 bulge and AU never looked back on their way to the title.
For the first two games of the Elite Eight, the AU was paced by junior All-American forwards Andi Daugherty and Snyder. The duo came up big in the finals, too, but their backcourt teammates helped spur the Eagles to victory.
Senior Kelsey Peare and freshman Jodi Johnson topped the Eagles in scoring in the first half with 10 and 11 points respectively. In the third quarter, sophomore Maddie Dackin came off the bench to score nine points and was perfect shooting, going 6-of-6 from the charity stripe and knocking down her sole 3-point attempt.
“I think it was just another game,” Snyder said. “I was struggling balancing between going out and playing it like a normal game and taking in what a special experience this is. I think that we were able to embrace that, but just to play like a normal game. And when you do that, there’s no pressure because you’re just doing what you love.”
Johnson finished as the leading scorer for Ashland with 19 points, knocking down 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Dackin had 14 and Peare finished with 13.
Snyder, who was the MVP of the tournament, scored 17 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished six assists.
“I think there’s two words that describe Laina really well. She’s a fierce competitor,” Fralick said.
Daugherty, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, scored 13 points and grabbed six boards.
Alexis Johnson led the Panthers with 28 points and added nine boards. Lady Walker scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
For the game, the Eagles were 11-of-22 from behind the arc, shot 53.4 percent from the field and knocked down 90.9 percent of their free throws.
Three seniors played their final game in an Eagle uniform, including Peare, Alex Henning and Rachelle Morrison.
“We have a senior on our team, Rachelle Morrison, who isn’t in the recap story a lot or the box score, but this season, she was all-in, no matter what,” Fralick said. “Her leadership and her unconditionalness about this team and her buy-in and her commitment and the way she communicates and held people accountable and put the team first…that’s why we’re here.
“That’s not always going to be seen on game night, but her story will be told forever in Ashland women’s basketball.”
Coverage of Ashland University Eagles athletics is produced in partnership with OhioHealth, the official sports medicine provider for Ashland University and dozens of high schools and universities throughout Ohio.
