#6 Ashland 93, #8 Parkside 74
The Parkside women's basketball team's season came to an end at the hands of the reigning GLIAC champion Ashland Eagles Friday night. Ashland shot 64.9-percent from the floor, and was led by 40 points from Annie Roshak. Nelson led the way for Parkside with 31, securing her spot at the top of the Parkside women's basketball all-time single season scoring average list. She'll finish the year averaging 19.9 points per game, edging out Sammy Kromm's 2002-03 season, where she averaged 19.8 points per game.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Friday's contest was an offensive shootout from the start, but neither team was able to find any real separation a quarter and a half into the game. Down the stretch of the opening half the Eagles went on a 9-4 run to take a 39-34 lead into the break. Ashland shot 50.0-percent in the first half compared to the Rangers 37.0-percent from the field. Unfortunately for Parkside, that trend continued in the second half.
 
Ashland maintained their four-point lead in the third quarter and even extended it late in the frame thanks to a 10-4 run fueled by back-to-back threes from Hallie Heidemann. Most of the separation seen in the final score came from the fourth quarter, where the Eagles shot 13-15 (86.6-percent) en route to a 29-17 quarter. Ashland shot 79.3-percent from the floor in the second half.

HEAR FROM COACH CONELY
"Really disappointed that our season ended today," said head coach Jen Conely. "I thought we didn't come out with the energy necessary to advance in the tournament. Hats off to Ashland, they came ready to play and knocked down some tough shots. We tried man and zone, but didn't have the defensive intensity that we needed. With that being said, there were a lot of positives this season- our squad of nine were pretty resilient. It wasn't easy, but they pushed through and didn't make any excuses. We had some really great performances collectively and individually. And we will return everyone for next year; this season provided valuable experience for us to continue to build on."
 
A LOOK AT THE BOX SCORE
Aside from Nelson's 31, the Rangers were led by a career-high 25-point outing from junior Hannah Plockelman. Plockelman also pulled down six rebounds. No other Ranger finished in double-digits. The game's large shooting disparity came primarily from Ashland's work in the paint, where they outscored Parkside 64-38.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Ashland and Michigan Tech will battle it out on Sunday at noon to decide who is crowned the GLIAC Tournament Champion. As for the Rangers, the season is most likely over, but the team will return its entire roster for the 2021-22 season.