Eagles, Bulldogs Battle in GLIAC Women's Basketball Semifinal
March 5, 2004

Isolina Brescia will be on the floor when the Eagles take on Ferris State Friday in a GLIAC semifinal match-up. (File photo)

When the women’s basketball teams from Ashland University and Ferris State first met this season the Christmas shopping season was just beginning. Now, all the presents are put away, but for a team looking to put a nice bow on the season, this is where everything begins.

Friday and Saturday (Mar. 5-6) the four-team Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament will be played at Lake Superior State. The top-seeded Lakers oppose Gannon Friday at 5:30 p.m. The second game features Ferris State and Ashland at 7:30 p.m. The tournament championship game will be played Saturday at 5 p.m.

The host Lakers are the top seed. Ferris State is seeded second and Ashland is third. FSU is 20-8 and fresh off a 72-70 win over Michigan Tech on Tuesday. Ashland is 22-6 and advanced to the tourney semifinals with a 95-82 conquest of Northern Michigan. AU has won seven consecutive games.

Ashland lost just once at home this year, going 14-1 at Kates Gymnasium. That one setback came against Ferris State on Dec. 6, 85-81. The Bulldogs have won seven consecutive games against the Eagles. The last time AU knocked off the Bulldogs came in the 1996-97 season, 56-55.

Getting a win over the Bulldogs on Friday won’t be easy. FSU features two GLIAC North Division first team selections – senior guard Lucy DeMartin and sophomore guard Erin Miller. FSU coach Tracey Fisk, in her sixth season in Big Rapids, MI, is the GLIAC coach of the year.

In the first meeting between the teams, the Eagles were in front at halftime, 49-41. AU ended up turning the ball over 25 times (FSU had 18 turnovers) and FSU outscored the Eagles, 26-17 in points off of turnovers. For one of the few times all season AU was beaten badly on the boards – the ‘Dogs outrebounded the Eagles, 52-35.

FSU got a double-double from Molly Potvin, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Miller was FSU’s leading scorer with 22 points. Sarah Duesing had 18 points and DeMartin had 12 points.

Ashland was led by Isolina Brescia’s 20 points. Forward Alanna Buurma had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Freshman guard Amber Rall contributed 14 points and junior center Jackie Mason recorded 10 points.