Owensboro, KY – Since joining the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in the 2021-22 season, the Ashland women's basketball team never lost to the Panthers – until tonight. Kentucky Wesleyan (5-3, 2-1 G-MAC) took down the Eagles (5-4, 1-2 G-MAC) 84-72 for a historic win at the Owensboro Sportscenter. The Panthers were firing on all cylinders, shooting 50% (32-64) from the field and scoring an impressive 54 points in the paint.
 
Senior guard Vilborg Jonsdottir got started early, scoring twice in the lane in the first few minutes. But a strong 16-2 run from the Eagles, including four three-pointers, left the Panthers in a big hole towards the end of the first quarter. Jonsdottir scored another bucket to stop the bleeding, giving Wesleyan a 25-14 deficit after the opening quarter.
 
The Panthers began the second quarter on a 9-2 run conducted by Lena Stinebricker, quickly cutting the Ashland lead to four. Later in the quarter, Emma Bruwer scored six points in 70 seconds, tying the game 33-33. Wesleyan trailed 36-33 at the halftime break.
 
Riley Neal scored four early points, tying the game at 39-39 with 7:55 remaining in the third. Exactly one minute later, Neal scored another layup to give Wesleyan a three-point lead. The Eagles responded with a 10-2 run to regain a four-point lead. Bruwer scored the last five points of the quarter, taking back the lead and giving the Panthers a 61-58 advantage.
 
Neal came alive in crunch time, leading her own 7-0 run and extending the Wesleyan lead to 68-61. The Panthers entered the bonus midway through the final quarter, as free throws helped grow their lead to ten with 4:32 left in the contest. Ashland didn't go away, cutting the lead back down to seven twice. But Myah Montgomery's triple with 1:46 remaining was the dagger, shutting the door on the Eagles. Neal converted two free throws to cap off the resounding 12-point victory.
 
After scoring just four points in the first half, Neal finished with a game-high 23 points on 59% (10-17) shooting. Bruwer was right behind her with 20 points, as each of them came just one rebound shy of double-doubles. Freshman guard Georgia Acompanado was the unsung hero in this victory, as her disruptive defensive pressure late in the game resulted in a career-high five steals. Transfer guard Iratxe Amorrortu Sainz also finished with a career-high five steals.
 
The Panthers will look to build on this historic win on Saturday at the Sportscenter, taking on the Tiffin Dragons at 12:00 p.m.
 
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