SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota — Upsets were the order of the day during the Elite Eight on Monday at the NCAA Division II women’s basketball tournament.
But the No. 1-ranked Ashland Eagles proved to be above even that trend. Coach Robyn Fralick’s team pounded Montana State University-Billings 91-73 to move into Wednesday night’s 9:30 p.m. national semifinal against Indiana (Pennsylvania).
AU opened an 18-point bulge in the third quarter, saw it shrink to seven, then spurted again in the final period to dismiss the Yellowjackets.
“I thought we showed really good poise and toughness down the stretch,” Fralick said.
She would know. The Division II national coach of the year now has an incredible 103-2 record for a stunning .981 winning percentage. That kind of success trumped the pressure that seemed to swallow the other three higher seeds to take the floor at the Sanford Pentagon.
IUP was among those teams that took advantage of the upset fever. Junior guard Carolyn Appleby scored a team-high 23 points as the fifth-seeded Crimson Hawks hung on to beat No. 4 seed Stonehill.
Indiana jumped on top 20-15 in the first quarter and expanded the margin to 47-34 at the half. Stonehill rallied in the second half, closing to within 59-53 heading to the final period. The Skyhawks got to within 72-71 with less than a minute to play, but IUP clinched it at the free throw line.
“At the end we just wanted to put the ball in Carolyn’s hands and spread the floor and just let her create either for herself or for her teammates,” coach Tom McConnell said.
That sets up the battle of the birds, the 30-3 Crimson Hawks in their first Final Four apperaance against defending national champion Ashland and its 72-game winning streak.
“The Hawks are going to the Final Four. We’ll think about Ashland in the morning,” McConnell said after the win. “We have great respect for them as we know them well. We are thankful that we’re moving on and have the opportunity to represent IUP in the Final Four.”
In addition to her team-high point total, Appleby distributed six assists while teammate Megan Smith nearly notched a double-double with 22 points and nine rebounds, also blocking five shots. This was her third 20-point outing of the NCAA Tournament.
Ashland had all five players reach double figures in its victory. Senior forward Laina Snyder led the way with 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Andi and Andi Daugherty collected 20 points, six boards and four assists. Sophomore guard Renee Stimpert, a Crestview product, scored 14 points, had eight rebounds and six assists. Sophomore guard Jodi Johnson chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds, while junior guard Maddie Dackin added 10 points.
Johnson picked off eight steals, three more than her previous AU NCAA Tournament single-game record.
Ashland’s performance was in stark contrast to the rest of the draw. Union Tennessee, the No. 7 seed, nipped second-seeded Carson Newman 73-70, while No. 6 Central Missouri beat third-seeded Lubbock Christian 72-62.
STAT FACTS: The Eagles won their 72nd consecutive game, extending the fifth-longest winning streak in NCAA basketball history, regardless of level or gender. Ashland also passed Connecticut for the most points scored in an NCAA women’s basketball season, with 3,500.
The Eagles, who also won the 2013 and 2017 Division II national championships, are now 25-5 (.833) all-time in the postseason – the best winning percentage of any Division II team with at least 25 games. AU is now 9-1 all-time at the Elite Eight.
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