ASHLAND — It’s going to be a busy night at Kates Gymnasium, but athletic director Al King and his staff don’t mind the extra work.
The Ashland University men’s and women’s basketball teams will host Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal games Wednesday. The top-ranked AU women (28-0) welcome Davenport (8-19) to town for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. The AU men (19-9) meet Northern Michigan (15-12) at 7:30 p.m.
Robyn Fralick’s women’s team is the top seed in the GLIAC tournament and has won an NCAA Division II-record 65 straight games. The Eagles have scored 100 or more points 17 times this season and average 102.2 points a game. AU has beaten Davenport twice already this season, but Fralick isn’t overlooking anybody.
“This time of the year, the only teams left playing are teams who have had a good season or are playing really good basketball right now,” Fralick said. “It’s time for March Madness and I think our team is really excited for the new season.”
Davenport advanced to the GLIAC tournament in its first season in the conference. The Panthers were previously affiliated with the NAIA.
“I know they’ve had a lot of success in the NAIA in the postseason,” Fralick said. “They qualified for the GLIAC tournament, which I think is tough to do. Our conference is really good and they are a tough and scrappy team.”
The Eagles are led by senior center Laina Snyder. The West Holmes product recently became AU’s career scoring leader with 2,108 points. Sophomore Jodi Johnson, who played for Lucas native Andy Booth at Wadsworth, is averaging a team-high 19.5 points a game and is just 10 points shy of 1,000 in less than two full seasons. Point guard Renee Stimpert, who scored 2,305 points during a storied high school career at Crestview, leads the GLIAC with 6.6 assists a game. Andi Daugherty averages 14.2 points a game. Snyder and Daugherty are both seniors and postseason veterans.
“This is the time of year where it’s about players playing together,” said Fralick, whose is 96-2 in three seasons at AU. “That comes from seniors and leadership and experience.”
In Wednesday’s nightcap, the fourth-seeded AU men will go for their second win over No. 5 seed Northern Michigan this season. The Eagles slipped past the 55-54 at NMU on Jan. 6.
The Eagles secured a home game with an 81-57 win over Northwood in last weekend’s regular season finale. Wendell Davis scored 33 points, while fellow senior Marsalis Hamilton added 16.
“It’s great. We get to play in front of our fans, teammates, family,” Hamilton said after the win. “It will be great to get another game in front of our fans.”
Coverage of Ashland University Eagles athletics is produced in partnership with OhioHealth, the official sports medicine provider for Ashland University.
