CANTON — The Eagles soared into first place Thursday evening.
Zoe Miller scored a team-high 14 points as No. 10 Ashland knocked off Malone 58-47, taking over the top spot in the race for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference championship.
Hayley Smith added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Eagles (21-3, 13-1). AU has won 15 straight.
Miller scored five quick points as Ashland raced out to a 9-0 lead midway through the first quarter. The Eagles led 14-7 after one and built a commanding 32-15 halftime lead.
AU took a 46-28 to the fourth before Malone (18-3, 12-1) made things interesting. The Pioneers trimmed Ashland’s advantage to 48-37 midway through the period on a pair of Brinn Hunt free throws, but Ashland’s Lexi Howe connected on a 3-pointer to make it 51-37 and Malone never seriously threatened again.
Abbey Price bounced off the bench to score a game-high 16 point the Pioneers, who had their 13-game winning streak snapped. Hunt added 10.
Howe had 12 points for the Eagles. Lydia Sweeney added eight.
Ashland is seeking its fourth straight GMAC regular-season championships after joining the league for the 2021-22 season. AU and Malone both have clinched berths in the GMAC Tournament.
Ashland returns to action Saturday at Cedarville. The Eagles host Malone next Thursday.