ASHLAND – What started out as a running joke has turned into a dream matchup of two women’s college basketball powerhouses.
Ashland University’s women’s basketball team, the Division II champions, will travel to Connecticut to take on the Huskies on Sunday, Nov. 5, in an exhibition game at a location and game time yet to be determined.
The past two seasons, the AU women’s team has scheduled an exhibition game against a Division I Oho school: Bowling Green for the 2015-2016 season and Ohio State for the 2016-2017 campaign. AU coach Robyn Fralick was having trouble finding a team for next season’s exhibition game, but a recurring theme emerged.
“I kept having people kind of jokingly say, ‘Well, you should just ask UConn,’” Fralick said.
As luck would have it, one of Fralick’s former college teammates works with a current UConn assistant, so Fralick reached out and the seed was planted.
“They had somebody cancel, so it worked out really well that we inquired. We were really excited that we got it,” Fralick said.
Although UConn is focused on Friday’s Final Four game, they acknowledged the amazing season AU just completed and are ready to face the DII champions.
“Coach Auriemma always enjoys having his team face top-level competition,” said Neal Eskin, UConn Senior Associate Athletic Director and women’s basketball program administrator. “With an undefeated, national championship season, Ashland demonstrated that it is the very best in Division II women’s basketball. Robyn Fralick has done an outstanding job with the Ashland program and we look forward to hosting the Eagles next season.”
AU and UConn have each made their mark in their respective divisions in the recent past.
The Eagles finished their 2016-2017 season a perfect 37-0 and won their second Division II national championship on March 24 when they defeated Virginia Union, 93-77, at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus. This season, AU scored 93.4 points per game and led Division II women’s basketball in assists per game, field goal percentage, steals and scoring margin.
Over the past six campaigns (2011-12 to 2016-17), AU has two national titles and a national runner-up finish, and the most wins (181) and best winning percentage (.887, 181-23) in D-II in that time.
AU will return three starters, including All-Americans Laina Snyder and Andi Daugherty, and GLIAC Freshman of the Year Jodi Johnson.
Crestview grad Renee Stimpert came off the bench this season as a freshman to lead the Eagles in assists. She takes it as a sign of respect that UConn agreed to play AU.
“UConn is a program that you can’t compare to anybody else. We are blessed with the opportunity to get this experience,” Stimpert said. “We are very enthused and can’t wait to represent Ashland. I know the Ashland community can’t wait till next year after winning the National Championship.”
UConn is currenty 36-0 and is preparing to play Mississippi State on Friday in a Final Four matchup. The Huskies have won 111 consecutive games and are just two wins away from a fifth straight Division I national championship. Over the past six seasons, they are the D-I pacesetter with 220 wins and a .957 (220-10) winning percentage. Overall, the program has won 11 national titles since 1995
“UConn is the best. They’ve set the standard, not just in women’s basketball, but athletics in general,” Fralick said. “The opportunity to play the best in an environment where women’s basketball is really valued will be an unbelievable opportunity for our team.”
Ashland and UConn are two of just three undefeated basketball teams, women or men, at all NCAA levels during the 2016-17 season, along with Division III Amherst women.
“Playing at the University of Connecticut is a once in a lifetime experience,” said AU Director of Athletics Al King. “How many NCAA Division II women’s basketball players can say they took the floor with one of the most storied basketball programs in college basketball history? These are the kind of opportunities that come with being a quality program. It’s always our goal to give our student-athletes experiences that set them apart from other programs. This perfectly fits that goal.”
AU has a fervent fan base, as evidenced last week by the estimated 1,000 fans turned away from the national title game, and King hopes this is an opportunity many of them will take advantage of.
“This can also be a memorable trip for our fans, alumni and parents. It’s a reward for many people and we’d love to see a large turnout from Ashland in Connecticut,” King said.
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