ALLENDALE, Mich. — The fifth-ranked Ashland University women’s basketball team just might be playing its best basketball of the season.
And it couldn’t come at a better time.
The Eagles made short work of Northern Michigan on Saturday night, playing stifling defense to chalk up a 68-45 victory in an NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinal at Grand Valley State University.
That sets up a regional championship game Monday at 7 p.m. against second-ranked Grand Valley State. The Lakers (34-2) thumped Wayne State 87-54 in the other regional semifinal.
Earlier in the night, coach Kari Pickens watched her Eagles take flight with a fast start and the Wildcats never really threatened.
Ashland (32-3) opened a 17-10 first-quarter lead and expanded the margin to 29-17 at halftime. The Eagles continued the onslaught in the third period and fashioned a 41-26 advantage heading to the final frame. Cruise control took over from there.
Senior forward Zoe Miller and sophomore Lexi Howe topped a typically balanced Ashland offense with 14 points apiece. Graduate student Lydia Sweeney contributed 13 points and senior Hayley Smith posted nine points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Miller also registered a team-high 11 rebounds.
The second-seeded Eagles canned 24-of-53 field goals (45.3 percent), including 10-of-26 treys (38.5 percent).
Northern Michigan simply couldn’t keep pace, hitting just 16-of-51 shots (31.4 percent) and only 4-of-13 triples (30.7 percent). Sarah Newcomer and Mackenzie Holzwart scored nine points each to pace the Wildcats.
This marked the second time this season the Eagles defeated Northern Michigan. Ashland also earned an 84-62 victory on Dec. 22. The Wildcats finished the season with a 23-9 record.
This will also be the second time AU will see the top-seeded Lakers. Grand Valley State dealt Pickens’ squad its worst loss of the season, 67-42, on Nov. 21.
Ashland has now won 26 consecutive games dating to a 69-58 defeat at Northwood on Dec. 5.
Should the Eagles win Monday night’s regional championship game, a short drive to Pittsburgh awaits for the Elite Eight, and perhaps more.