With fewer than nine minutes left against Grand Valley State on Feb. 15, the Ashland women’s basketball team found itself in an unfamiliar situation: trailing by 11.

In the 61 games prior, the Eagles emerged with a win. During the streak, five games were decided by single digits. Now, Ashland had to come from behind to avoid suffering its first loss since March 12, 2016.

“We looked at the scoreboard and it didn’t really faze us,” said Jodi Johnson, a sophomore guard. “We had confidence that we were going to win.”

It seemed neither team could put the ball in the hoop, until Johnson broke the drought with under seven minutes remaining. The sophomore drained a 3, sparking a comeback led by the team’s two top scorers, Johnson and Laina Snyder. The late push sent the game to overtime.

With two minutes left in overtime and Ashland trailing 90-89, Renee Stimpert took over. The freshman scored the final seven points of the game, guiding the Eagles to a 96-90 win and extending their winning streak to 62.

It was one of the few times Ashland (28-0, 20-0 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic) has faced adversity on the court in the past three years amid its 65-game winning streak, but its players banded together, shared the ball and used its depth to escape with a win against Grand Valley State. On Wednesday, the Eagles begin their conference tournament, hoping to reach another national title game. For the past three seasons, the reigning Division II National Champions have focused on being selfless to become D-II’s most dominant program.

“We knew there had to be something more to be done. That offseason we made a very conscious effort to put the team first,” Snyder said about the offseason after Ashland’s second-straight nine-loss season in 2015. “It became a staple and expectation of our program.”

From 2011 to 2013, the Eagles won 70 of 73 games and competed for two D-II national championships, winning one. When consecutive nine-loss seasons followed, a change needed to be made. Seven-year assistant Robyn Fralick was selected to become the new head coach.

Fralick immediately implemented her own style. While Ashland always sought out versatile, two-way players from winning high school programs, Fralick wanted to emphasize the importance of being a supportive teammate, having positive body language and leaving egos behind. Fralick, a former Davidson standout, has always believed that in life, success will come when you love and support those around you.

In addition to monitoring the character of her players, Fralick wanted her team to adopt habits that would help them avoid complacency. She created a practice schedule that kept her team busy every day and focused on something different each day, whether it be skill work, intrasquad scrimmages, or studying film on an upcoming opponent. During games, she put an emphasis on winning every possession, a mentality that was instantly embraced by the players.

“We’ll be up by 50 points, and if they score, we know we should’ve played better defense,” Snyder said. “It’s more of an every possession mentality, that’s what separates you in the close games. That’s what keeps us focused.”

In Fralick’s first season as head coach, the Eagles were back to winning ways. They started the season 21-0 before suffering their first loss to Walsh on Feb. 4, 2016. A 10-game win streak followed before Ashland fell to Drury in the NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals.

The loss crushed the Eagles, Snyder said. She said losing in the regional semifinals wasn’t acceptable. Rather than making another coaching switch or revamping the system, Ashland maintained the habits that helped it improve its record so drastically.

“We just kept talking about sticking with it and doing it together,” Fralick said. “We really focused in on the things we could control.”

Since then, the Eagles have not lost a game, boasting the highest average margin of victory in D-II. Ashland defeated Virginia Union in the national championship last season, and it’s determined to repeat in 2018. In order to reach its goal, Snyder reiterated that the team must remain positive and put the team first, especially in moments of adversity like against Grand Valley State.

While the amount of talent Ashland has is undeniable, its priority to put the team first and individual agendas second is what pushed it over the edge.

The Eagles have trusted one another, embraced useful habits and left their egos behind, and, as a result, become the most dominant team in women’s D-II.

“We’ve always had the talent and the skill,” Snyder said. “But once we made that switch, that’s what allowed us to do what we do now.”

Published on February 27, 2018 at 10:41 pm

Contact David: ddschnei@syr.edu