Auchmuty leads UF women to dominant home victory

FINDLAY -–Less than 24 hours after a tough loss at home on Friday, the University of Findlay needed a strong performance from its women's basketball team against Edinboro. It sure got one. The Oilers defeated Edninboro 75-52, thanks to a big game from a familiar face, albeit not to Oiler fans. Columbus Grove graduate Lauryn Auchmuty, a freshman for the Oilers, was the star of Saturday's 23-point victory, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc for a team-high 15 points – along with three rebounds and a steal – in just 12 minutes off the bench. Auchmuty started 4-of-4 in the opening quarter, including a buzzer-beater to end the first. Following a seven-point, six-rebound outing on Friday, Auchmuty built on that solid showing Saturday, showcasing her elite shooting in front of a rowdy Oiler crowd. "It feels great," Auchmuty said. "I'm working hard every day in practice and having the upperclassmen teach me through things that I'm not quite sure about yet. Just being able to get on the floor and play with them is a huge opportunity, and I'm proud of it.""It's really great," Oilers coach Michele Durand said. "We need somebody who can make 3s, and Lauryn can do it. We knew that when we recruited her, and we've known that since she's been here."Not only can Auchmuty shoot the ball at a high clip, she does it with confidence. That was obvious on Saturday, as if she saw daylight, she was taking and making pretty much everything."Really confident," Auchmuty said of her shooting ability. "Them moving the ball around, getting the open 3s is nice. Being able to do that in future games is also nice. Taking this win today, going and playing Tuesday, we hope to play our hardest there and win that game too. Being able to make 3s, and see other girls shoot and make their shots too, it gets the bench going.""We made shots, finally," Durand added. "We haven't been making shots, we made some tonight. I thought we shared the ball really well."The Oilers went 12-of-22 from beyond the arc in Saturday's big win, as four players made at least two shots from long range. "So far, so good," Durand said of the Oilers' performance so far this season with plenty of new players in the lineup. "We didn't have a great game (Friday), but I thought we bounced back really well. Certainly, we miss those girls that graduated, but I think these girls are really connected and doing a good job playing with each other."MacKenzie Schulz, who connected on two 3s to finish with 10 points and four rebounds, is one of Findlay's newfound leaders. Now in her third season, Schulz is a full-time starting forward with shot-making ability and defensive versatility. Another leader for the Oilers is senior forward Alyssa Ziehler, who holds down the inside and uses her strong post moves to take advantage down low. Ziehler ended with nine points, three rebounds, and two blocks, protecting the rim well in the win. As a senior, Ziehler has blossomed into a premier player for the Oilers both on and off the court, averaging a team-high 14.5 points and nine rebounds while taking on a leadership role."(Alyssa's) been a really good leader for us so far," Durand said. "I think she's the best center in the league. I know we have a good league and there's some good players in it, but she's really just done a great job dominating in there, dominating the boards, and being poised."A third player who's stepped into a much-needed leadership position for Findlay is junior combo guard Allie Stockton. On Saturday, Stockton put up seven points, nine rebounds, and four assists, doing a little bit of everything at a high level.New to the Oilers this season is junior Madison French, a five-foot-11, do-it-all wing from Northern Kentucky University. French followed Friday's four-point, four-rebound, three-assist stat line with another strong performance. She recorded nine points, four rebounds, and four steals, looking like a perfect replacement for long-time wing Kate Ellis from last year's squad. Edinboro's Ava Haddad recorded a game-high 23 on Saturday, going 8-of-10 from the floor along with four rebounds. Kassie Potts was the only other player in double figures, adding 10 points and two boards. Defensively, the Oilers forced 17 turnovers, and scored 17 points off of them. Findlay also outrebounded the Fighting Scots 38 to 21, with 10 offensive rebounds. "I think our defense still needs a little bit of improvement," Auchmuty said. "But, from the beginning of the year to now, our defense has definitely improved. Offensively, we're more confident shooting the ball and getting good movement around. We know how to play with one another."Now at 3-1 to start the year, the Oilers will once again be at home on Tuesday, for the third in a five-game homestand. The Oilers, however, will have their work cut out for them. Findlay will take on the defending national champion, number-one ranked, 4-0 Grand Valley State Lakers at 4 p.m. Tuesday.EDINBOROHaddad 8-7–23, Potts 3-2–10, Suman 2-2–7, Manfredo 3-0–6, Baker 2-0–4, Brown 0-2–2. TOTALS: 18-13–52.FINDLAYAuchmuty 5-0–15, Schulz 3-2–10, Ziehler 4-1–9, French 3-2–9, Freeman 3-0–8, Stockton 2-1–7, Mescher 3-0–6, Douglas 2-1–5, Spicer 1-2–4, Stanley 1-0–2. TOTALS: 27-9–75. Edinboro 10 11 10 21–52Findlay 26 14 24 11–75THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS: Edinboro 3-11 (Potts 2); Findlay 12-22 (Auchmuty 5).REBOUNDS: Edinboro 21 (Blunt 5); Findlay 38 (Stockton 9). TURNOVERS: Edinboro 17, Findlay 24.