NORTH CANTON, Ohio - As 2021 came to a close at Alumni Arena, the Walsh Cavaliers women's basketball team battled the eighth-ranked Ashland Eagles in a contest that could affect the Great Midwest standings. The Cavaliers rallied late to attempt the upset but the Eagles escaped with an 87-84 win on Friday (Dec. 31). 

After trailing by 14 (34-20) with 7:25 left in the second quarter, Walsh went on a 10-0 run and eventually rallied back to tie the game at 49, with 3:21 remaining in the third quarter. The Cavaliers tied the game twice more in the third period before heading into the fourth quarter, down 58-53. Down by 11 (82-71), Walsh made one more run at the Eagles with a 13-5 run over the final 2:46 of the game. Sha Carter nailed a three pointer with five seconds left before the Cavaliers had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer. 

• SCORE: #8 Ashland 87, Walsh 84
• LOCATION: North Canton, Ohio (Alumni Arena)
• RECORDS: Ashland (11-1, 6-0 G-MAC), Walsh (8-3, 3-2 G-MAC)

FOR THE CAVALIERS:

• Sha Carter led the Cavaliers with a game-high 30 points and 15 rebounds. Carter made 14-of-20 shots from the floor, including her only three pointer and free throw. The senior grabbed eight offensive rebounds with three steals. 
• Mayci Sales followed with 28 points on 13-of-16 shooting, while also grabbing seven rebounds. 
• Lexie Scarton tallied nine points and seven assists. 
• Walsh shot 58.7% from the floor, making 37-of-63 shots, despite going 2-of-15 from deep. 
• The Cavaliers won the rebounding battle 35-19, with a 12-3 offensive board advantage. 

FOR THE EAGLES:

• Karlee Pireu had a team-high 26 points on 12 made field goals. 
• Macy Spielman added 17 points and six rebounds with Annie Roshak gave Ashland 15 points. 
• Ashland shot 60.3% from the floor, tallying 35-of-58 shots on Friday. 

Walsh heads north to Hillsdale on Thursday (Jan. 6) for a Great Midwest matchup with the Chargers at 5:30 PM. 

-WC-