INDIANAPOLIS – Coming off their second-straight win last weekend at Purdue Northwest, the UIndy women's basketball team went up against another GLIAC opponent Wednesday night, hosting the No. 8 ranked Ashland Eagles. It was UIndy's first time back home in nearly a month after playing their last three games on the road. UIndy was 3-1 at home this season coming into their game tonight, but fell to the nationally-ranked Eagles, 96-46.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Greyhounds scored the first points of the game on a Laura Thomas layup, the Eagles quickly came back and took a 10-4 lead before Kristin Wodrich took her first timeout of the game. UIndy shot five-of-12 in the first quarter compared to Ashland's 11-of-16. The Hounds sustained a run in the second quarter with Katie Sowa scoring five quick points and Emma Benoit going to work down low getting layups and going to the foul line. UIndy got to the foul line seven times in the quarter, sinking four of them along with a three in the quarter. The Hounds trailed Ashland 54-25 at the half.
 
The second half got off to a better start for the Hounds, after shooting 35.7% in the second quarter the Hounds came out in the third quarter shooting 41.7%. While improving their shooting from the floor, UIndy was still getting to the line regularly like they had been in the first half. UIndy got to the line nine times in the third quarter, drawing fouls on the inside and on the drive to keep Ashland going to their bench. In the fourth quarter, UIndy did not get to the line like they had been before then, only getting to stripe twice, making one of the two shots. The Greyhounds came into tonight's game second in the nation in three-point percentage (43.4%), but went one-of-15 from deep against Ashland. UIndy was sixth in the nation in field goal percentage overall (48.6%), but shot just over 33% from the field against the Eagles in the 96-46 loss.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
-Taylor Dillard made her first career start for the Greyhounds Wednesday night. The Indianapolis native tallied four points, five assists, and three rebounds in 28 minutes of play.
-Claire Carlton led UIndy in rebounds tonight, grabbing nine boards for the Hounds. Her nine rebounds are the most she has had in a game since entering the starting lineup against Tiffin last month, her second most in a game this season (12 rebounds vs. Grand Valley State on 11/18).
-The Hounds lost the rebound battle against Ashland by one board, it is only the second time they have been out-rebounded this season.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Kristin Wodrich on Ashland, "we have been in games where they pressure a lot, we just cannot simulate in practice how good they are when it comes to that and our kids know that coming in and when you respond how we did today you turn it over. We are not 50 points worse than anyone in the country and I am disappointed in that because I know we are better than that but Ashland is such a great team, they are an experienced team who played in the national championship game last year and they won the national championship two years ago so they know how to win, they know how to play hard for 40 minutes so it was good for our kids to see what that kind of a program looks like."
 
Wodrich on Ashland's run to end the first half, "they are deeper than us, we have some injuries going on right now and they are a team that goes on runs, they get on runs fast and they play fast. They hit outlets on makes and misses and you cannot let your guard down. We gave up a lot of transition points today and we have to get back and match up. They shot extremely well from three (54%), that's phenomenal. For us, we did not shoot as good as we usually do, it's tough to do that when you are getting pressured."
 
Wodrich on what UIndy needs to work on before their game with Marian, "we have to work on how to play when getting pressured, and teams are going to pressure us. We can shoot the ball, they are going to try to deny us. We have good offensive weapons, we have an inside presence in Emma [Benoit] and we have to handle that, we have to pass the ball, settle into our offense. Our kids do a good job when they get their shots but we cannot turn the ball over and give them 25 extra possessions."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds get 10 days off before their next game, they will host Marian on December 30th in Nicoson Hall for the first-ever meeting between the two programs at 1 p.m.