The Tournament
The 2023-24 Great Midwest Women's Basketball Championship returns for the 11th year, since the conference began during the 2012-2013 academic year. The tournament will feature eight teams that have earned an invitation based on winning percentage. On Tuesday, March 5, the quarterfinal round will take place with four games, hosted by the higher seed. Winners will advance to the semifinal round on Friday, March 8, hosted by the highest remaining seed. The remaining two teams will compete on Saturday, March 9 to claim the 2023-24 Great Midwest Championship title. 

The tournament champion will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. 

Ashland has claimed the title for two straight years, and went on to win the National Championship last season. The Eagles are tied with Walsh for the most tournament titles at two apiece. 

The Game
The University of Findlay women's basketball team has advanced to the 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals. The Oilers, seeded eighth in the event now face the regular season champions, and number-one seed, Ashland University. 

The contest, which kicks off at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, March 5, will take place in Kates Gymnasium on the campus of Ashland University. The quarterfinal match pits the Oilers against the Eagles. In their historical matchups, the two teams have crossed paths 54 times, with the Eagles holding the historical advantage, boasting a 37-17 record. However, just four days ago, Findlay managed to cause chaos for the top-ranked team in the nation, losing by a mere five points in a closely fought match from start to finish.

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Tickets
Tickets for Findlay at Ashland

Follow the Action
Video streaming of the contest will be produced by Ashland University and streamed on the Great Midwest Digital Network.
Live Stream
Live Stats

Findlay Oilers (14-14, 10-10 G-MAC) | #8 Seed
2024 Findlay Basketball Coaching Staff
Statistics

For the first time under head coach Michele Durand, the Oilers have made postseason play. The Oilers who won three of their last five contests are 14-14 on the season and hold a 10-0 record in Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) play. 

Findlay enters the quarterfinal match averaging just 65.3 points per game; nevertheless, the team maintains shooting percentages of 41.2% from the field and 29.3% from beyond the arc.

Senior Kate Ellis has been a standout performer for the Oilers this season. She boasts an impressive 14.5 points per game, placing her fourth in the conference in scoring, and maintains a shooting accuracy of 49.6% from the field. Additionally, Ellis contributes with an average of 5.2 rebounds per game.

Sophomore Alyssa Ziehler is averaging 12.1 points per game, and is the team's primary rebounder, ranking seventh in the conference with an average of seven boards per game. Ziehler demonstrates an impressive 53.9% shooting accuracy from the field this season. Notably, senior Janae Hoying contributes with an average of 7.9 points per game while leading the team with an average of 2.8 assists.

In Saturday's game, Ellis led Findlay with 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Freshman MacKenzie Schulz scored a career-high 15 points, hitting 3-of-4 from deep. Additionally, freshman Taylor Stanley contributed with a career-high five assists and three steals, while adding seven points.

About the Opponent –  Ashland Eagles (27-1, 20-0 G-MAC) | #1 Seed
2024 Ashland Basketball Coaching Staff
Statistics

The defending national champions enter the tournament with a 27-1 record on the season with a 20-0 mark in conference play. Ashland, ranked first in the country in the WBCA Coaches Poll, enters the postseason on a 19-game winning streak and has won 64 of its last 65 games.

Over the last 12-plus seasons, Ashland has gone 386-40 (.906) with three NCAA Division II national titles, two national runner-up finishes, three undefeated seasons, a D-II-record 73-game winning streak, a D-II-record 39-game road winning streak (current), seven 30-win seasons, 11 NCAA postseason qualifications, nine conference regular-season championships, nine conference tournament titles, and a mark of 207-14 (.937) at home.

Ashland leads Division II in field-goal percentage (50.9%), assists per game (21.4), and rebounding margin per game (+12.3). They also rank third in points per game with 84.2 and fourth in three-point field goals per game at 9.5.

They are led on offense by senior Annie Roshak who became Ashland women's basketball's all-time leading scorer last week, and goes into the G-MAC tournament with 2,312 career points. She is averaging 16.1 points per game while recording 61.2% from the floor, the best field goal percentage in the conference, and 39.7% from deep. Over the last 10 games, Roshak is averaging 18.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Junior Zoe Miller, a bench player, averages 14.3 points per game with an impressive 60.8% field goal percentage. Meanwhile, freshman Lexi Howe poses a threat from beyond the arc, shooting 44% from three-point range. Additionally, junior Hayley Smith leads the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.8 per contest. 

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