No. 1 Ashland rolls to big win to start 2023-24 season

ASHLAND — It’s a new team with some new players and a new year.

But the opening night of the 2023-24 season for the Ashland University women’s basketball team looked really familiar.

The No. 1-ranked Eagles started the new campaign with a dominating 98-61 victory over Wayne State on Friday night at Kates Gymnasium doing a lot of the same things that have made AU so successful in the last decade-plus.

Playing fast, playing hard and playing all 15 players on the roster, the Eagles broke free from an early 6-6 tie with a balanced offensive barrage and routed the Warriors.

“I liked that we played really hard,” AU coach Kari Pickens said. “A for effort. The fact that we came out and played as hard as we did and did a lot of the things that make Ashland Ashland was really exciting and encouraging.

“But there are a lot of things that we’re going to take away from this game that we’re going to learn and grow from. Too many turnovers, a couple defensive mistakes that happened too repeatedly. It’s game one and that’s going to happen.”

Led by junior forward Zoe Miller’s 19 points off the bench, six Eagles scored in double figures — all by the end of the third quarter. Senior guard Savaya Brockington added 13 points, five rebounds and two assists.

Hayley Smith, Annie Roshak, Macy Spielman and Sarah McKee each scored 11 points, and 11 players in all scored at least three points each.

Smith also collared 10 rebounds as AU built a huge 50-25 edge on the boards.

“It was fun just getting to play with everybody and I think we did a good job of sharing the ball and getting great looks and high percentage shots,” Brockington said.

“It was awesome that a lot of people got into the game and were able to get those looks and just get their feet wet in the Eagle gym in the first game.”

McKee broke the early 6-6 tie with a three-pointer from the left wing and then added a free throw.

A three-point play from the lane and a three-point shot from the top of the circle by Miller pushed Ashland’s lead to 16-6.

Led by Miller’s nine points, the Eagles got 15 points off the bench in taking a 27-14 lead after the first quarter.

“We talk about it all the time,” Miller said. “Whenever your name is called, just be ready and prepared. I just know me individually and our team, when our name is called we’re just prepared to give it our all.”

The lead stretched to 34-14 early in the second quarter as AU scored 14 unanswered points. The Eagles were never really threatened after that as they shot at least 53 from the field in every quarter, leading 49-31 at halftime and 79-43 after three periods.

For the game, AU was 31-of-52 (60 percent) from the floor, nine-of-17 (53 percent) from three-point range and 27-of-36 (75 percent) at the foul line.

Thirteen different players recorded assists as the Eagles had helpers on 23 of 31 baskets.

“One of the things we highlight a lot is pushing the ball in transition,” Brockington said. “Our transition offense is one of the things we do really well.

“Making sure that we’re on top of that through the whole entire game and not taking plays off means once we push the ball in transition we get a lot of great looks.”

The AU defensive effort included gathering 37 rebounds on that end, and limiting Wayne State to 31 percent shooting for the game. The Warriors were just three-of-16 behind the three point line and 18-of-31 at the foul line.

“With our denial defense, we can take people out of what they want to do,” Pickens said. “And our rebounding effort was fantastic from start to finish.

“Getting to the free throw line and outrebounding people has to be a huge identity point for us this year. We’re bigger, we’re more athletic. We can do that if we put our mind to it on a consistent basis.”

About the only negatives from game one were some early defensive miscues and 25 turnovers. But those can be cleaned up starting tonight when the Eagles play host to the University of Indianapolis for a 5:30 p.m. game at Kates Gymnasium.

“A lot of it is just learning how to play fast and under control at the same time,” Pickens said. “There’s just a learning curve that comes with that.

“When it’s game one in the season, if you can play really hard and play really together, I think you’re starting off in a really good spot. But I’m excited that we have at least 27 more games to be able to clean some of that stuff up.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Women's College Hoops: No. 1 Ashland rolls over Wayne State