THE BASICS
Score:at Ashland 80, No. 5 Gannon 73
Records: Gannon (3-1), Ashland (2-2)
Location: Ashland, Ohio  |  Kates Gymnasium
The Short Story: The No. 5 Gannon women's basketball team suffered its first loss of the regular season falling to host Ashland, 80-73, Tuesday evening at Kates Gymnasium. In a back-and-forth affair, the second half witnessed eight lead changes and 11 tied scores between the two squads before the Eagles pulled away in the final two minutes of regulation. Senior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) led Gannon with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds to collect her second double-double of the season and 20th of her career in a season-high 27 minutes.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Facing a six-point deficit, 44-38, with 12:57 remaining in regulation, Gannon erased Ashland's lead by tying the game at 48-48. Senior Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) spearheaded the Lady Knights' rally with a three-pointer and a jumper before senior Candice Hendricks (Randallstown, Md./McDonogh).
- After Hendricks tied the game at 48 all, the next 7:13 of the game featured eight tied scores. In a span of just under a minute between 6:05 and 5:07, the lead changed hands four times.
- In its entirety, the second half was a battle for momentum with eight lead changes and 11 tied scores. The final tied score came with 3:04 remaining and the teams knotted at 65-65. To break the tie, Ashland scored three straight points to take the lead.
- Fighting to keep their unbeaten streak intact, the Lady Knights managed to pull within one, 68-67, following a successful visit to the foul line by Blake with 1:54 left. The Eagles answered back with a layup to gain insurance points for a 70-67 advantage with 1:33 remaining. Finishing the game at the foul line, the Eagles went a perfect 10-for-10 to seal the 80-73 win over the Lady Knights.
- To open the game, the Lady Knights used a 7-1 run to take a 19-10 lead over the Eagles with 8:45 left in the first half. The run was capped on a three from junior Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) following a steal by senior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County).
- With the Lady Knights holding a six-point lead, 23-17, halfway through the first half, the Eagles managed to string together six unanswered points to tie the game at 23 with under four minutes remaining.
- Trailing 27-25 with under two minutes left, Sebald put the Lady Knights back in the lead, 28-27, off a three. The Eagles answered with a layup in the closing seconds to take a 29-28 lead into the break.
 
GAME NOTES
- Blake led Gannon with a team-high 16 points and 10 rebounds to collect her second double-double of the season and 20th of her career in a season-high 27 minutes.
- Junior Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds. In a career-high 32 minutes, Thies added a steal and an assist to her totals.
- Appearing in her 100th-career game as a Lady Knight, Batts matched season-highs with 14 points and four rebounds. She shot 2-for-3 beyond the arc, while tying a season-high 36 minutes.
- For the second straight game, Sebald scored in double figures 13 points and three rebounds. Also setting a season-high with 25 minutes, the senior went 3-for-4 from three-point range.
- Gannon shot 37.7-percent (26-for-69) from the field for the game, while Ashland hit 44.3-percent (27-for-61) from the floor.
- The Lady Knights controlled the boards with a 46-36 rebound advantage.
- For the first time this season, the Lady Knights recorded more turnover than their opponent. The Lady Knights finished the game with 17, while the Eagles registered 11.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Gannon moved to 21-16 in the all-time series against Ashland. The Lady Knights have dropped four straight to the Eagles and hold a 9-8 mark at Kates Gymnasium.
- For the Eagles, this evening's game marked their home opener after spending the first three games of the season on the road.
- The Lady Knights and Eagles were former conference opponents during GU's 13-year stay in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC).
- The Lady Knights were only able to convert the Eagles' 11 turnovers into three points.
- The game featured 14 tied scores and 11 combined lead changes.
- Blake has posted 10 or more rebounds in five consecutive games dating back to last season in the semifinals of the NCAA Atlantic Regional March 15.
- Entering the game, the Lady Knights are ranked fifth in the latest USA Today Sports NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon returns to non-conference action following Thanksgiving. In the midst of a two-game road swing, the Lady Knights head back out on the road, Nov. 29, to face another GLIAC opponent, Grand Valley State. The tip is set for 1 p.m.