#14 Ferris State Battles Back Late But Falls To #7 Ashland In Regional Home Tilt

Postgame Highlights & Interview 

Big Rapids, Mich. - The nation's 14th-ranked Ferris State University women's basketball squad battled back in the final period, but it was not enough as FSU dropped a 69-59 regional decision to seventh-ranked Ashland on Saturday (Nov. 23) inside Jim Wink Arena.

Ashland took a 19-15 lead after the first 10 minutes of action and outscored Ferris State 19-4 in the second period to grab a 38-19 halftime advantage in the showdown between two of the nation's top 15 squads.

The Eagles built a 28-point lead midway thru the third period before FSU outscored Ashland 26-12 in the final quarter and pulled back within striking distance late before AU pulled out the win, avenging two setbacks to Ferris State a year ago, including one in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Semifinals.

Ferris State was limited to 33.3% shooting for the game and the Bulldogs made only six-of-23 (26.1%) three's overall. Meanwhile, AU, shot 48% from the floor and sank 10-of-28 (35.7%) from long range while also outrebounding FSU 37-30 for the afternoon.

The Bulldogs were led by senior guard Kadyn Blanchard with a game-high 29 points and eight rebounds. Senior wing DeShonna Day added 10 points for FSU.

The Eagles were paced by Gia Casalinova, who came off the bench to total a team-high 19 points. Zoe Miller added 17 points and Hayley Smith recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Ferris State had only eight turnovers in the game and came up with 11 steals, including four by junior Elle Irwin. FSU also had three blocked shots in the game. Along with Blanchard, junior Mia Riley also had a team-high tying eight rebounds on the glass for the Bulldogs.

With the setback, Ferris State fell to 5-2 overall this year and the Eagles also improved to 5-2 overall.

Ferris State will break for the Thanksgiving holiday and return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at home against Lake Superior State in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) opener at Wink Arena. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. (ET).