Wednesday March 22, 2017 BI SP ORTS ‘Times-Gazette, Ashland, Ohio Times-Gazette.com DIV. IT ELITE EIGHT - ASHLAND 82, WEST TEXAS A&M 67 EAGLES LAND _ IN FINAL FOUR ‘Ashland’s Jodi Johnson (21) steals the ball from West Texas AM University’s Bailey Thiel in the Eagles’ 82-67 win Tuesday inthe Elite Eight in Columbus. AU gets defensive in Elite Eight victory ey CHRIS SNOW Epeson, tie national son, that (forcing “Thnk Laina and Tare Snyder made 19 of 18 made 19 of 21 from the reSports eter semifinals turnovers) something we both undersized post pla fom the field, grabbed frecthow lie, which was ss tonight at want todo." Ashland coach ers a litle bit West Texas ight rebounds and dished a season-high percentage COLUMBUS — Defer. 8:30" p.m. Robyn Fralick suid “Part of has some bigger grt,” said out five assists, while from the charity stripe sive pressure has been a against Hard- it is we are so aggressive Daugherty, like her team- Daugherty made 12 of 13 ‘The Bufs jumped out t aling card of the Ashland Ashland ing (31-3), and we tap. Sometimes we mate fool. ARM (269) from the free-throw line a 9-4 lead three minutes University women's basket- vs. which de’ give up too many easy bas started two posts at 62 or and also chipped in four re- into the game, but the Ea pall team throughout its Harding eated "ets with it, but we stick taller. “We're versatile bounds and fourassists. gles did not waste any time aso, Tonight, Queens withit enough that we kind of "Renee Stimpert did a it- batiing back. ‘That was no different 8:30pm. (NY.) 78-69 “Thats what we hope go have guard skills, so we te of everything for Ask- “A Snyder jumper and aginst West Texas A&M in’ another inginto the game that we can used our speed and athlet- land inthe win, scoring 11 Daugherty yup pulled AU the Division Il national quarterfinals on Tuesday a8, create tumovers and create cism to kind of expose the points, snageing five re- to within a point (98) 0 Pins off tumovers, and we oles in their defence and bounds and handing out West Texas A&M, and the Eales forced the Bulls parlayed the Buffs’ 25 wereabletodothat tonight” put up some shots, five helpers, while Kelsey Julie Worley made a layup to 23 turovers. fumovers into 32 points, a" The Eagles — usually "Use what you have to Peareadded eight points. at the 4:38 mark to give Riding its suffocating de- big diference in the final balanced offensively — your advantage,” added Ashland was particularly Ashland its first lead ofthe fense, Ashland won 82-67 outcome ofthe game. were caried by Laina Say- Snyder. “We had speed, effective on the offensive game st Ohio Dominican’s “I'youlook at our season der (26 points) and Andi they had size. We were able end as the team shot 50.8 Alumni Hall to advance to over the course of the sea- Daugherty (24 points). to work them inthat area." percent from the field and See Page B2 | Defensive Snyder, Daugherty lead efficient offense in Eagles’ 15-point win ay CURTIS PULLIAM Heading into Tues the short corner were re Sports iter day's gam fopen that a lot of teams hhnda't exposed them for COLUMBUS — The and the Buffs (26-8) in the past so that was Ashland women's basket: 49.2 what we focused on. pall team hadn't seen Leading the way for the think that's what led to much zone defense all Eagles was forward/center our success tonight year long. Taina Snyder, who scored “Ashland coach Robyn It dida’t really matter 26 points on 13 of 18 fom Fralick was happy ith much for the Eagles on the fil the way her team at Tuesday against the West Snyder, recently tacked the Bulls’ de- Texas ASM Bull, named as a Women's fense Tn a battle of the two Basketball Coaches Asso. "I thought when our top shooting teams in ciation first-team All. posts got the ball, I the country in terms of American made nine of thought they were excel: field-goal percentage, her first 10 shots from lent,” Fralick said. "I the Eagles (35-0) shot the field. thought they did a great 59.5 percent through the "We aren't used to. job of driving to the bas- frst three quarters of playing (against) a ket, scoring in a crowd, the contest to take down zone,” Snyder said. “Not being patient and that the Buffs, 82-67 to ad- many teams play a zone obviously was helpful in vance to the NCAA Divi- against us. But going our success tonight 1.6 photoyTom Puskas sion Il semifinals over it this week, we Ashland!s Laina Snyder (3) shoots over West Texas ABMs Lilley Vander Zee fr lonight. Knew that the middle and SeePageB3 | Lead _twocof her game-high 26 points in the Eagles Tuesday night Elite Eight wi