The Ashland Eagles claimed their second consecutive G-MAC Conference championship on Saturday following a win over Trevecca Nazarene 83-65.
The Eagles (31-0) will more than likely host the Midwest Regional Tournament which begins Friday, March 11th. Hallie Heidemann was the subject of one of our stories earlier in the year and her importance to the teams success.
The Eagles are now one step closer to pulling off something they haven’t done since the 2016-17 season. The Eagles ran the table that year and won their second Women’s Division II Basketball National Championship with a 37-0 record.
Ashland Chasing History
Heidemann is a consistent factor to Ashland’s success in this 2022-23 campaign. The fifth-year graduate student is averaging about 12 points, 5 boards, and almost 3 assists per game. Heidemann is second in Division II at 50.6% three-point percentage as well.
The headliner on this purple and gold unit this season though is senior 6’1″ forward Annie Roshak. The North Canton H.S. product became the fifth Eagle to earn a conference Player of the Year Award, as Dusty Sloan notes here. Roshak is a consistent force in the paint, averaging 13.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 assists a game for the teams, while being able to stretch the floor as well. The former Hoover High School Viking was 51% from three and made over 93% from the charity stripe.
The former Bowling Green Falcon Macy Spielman is another player of note. Spielman’s numbers may have dropped, but she can be a key force on the defensive side of the ball. The 5’10” junior wing was third on the team in steals with 31.
Hayley Smith is another important contributor to the team as a redshirt sophomore. Smith led the team in rebounds at just under 7 a night, to go with 12.2 points.
Winning Combination
Head coach Kari Pickens has experienced this level of success before with the Eagles. Pickens led the Eagles as a player to their first national championship back in the 2012-13 season. Pickens help take the squad to the undefeated season in 2016-17 as an assistant coach. Now, as a head coach, she has only fifteen losses in 151 contests through her first five seasons.
The Eagles await whether they will host the regional tournament on Sunday, March 9th for the selection show. Only time will tell if the Eagles can officially win another championship and finish the season undefeated.
