The Malone University women's basketball team saw its memorable 2016-17 season come to an abrupt end Friday night as the Pioneers were eliminated in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament by NCAA DII #1 and Midwest Regional host Ashland University. While Malone held Ashland to a season-low 72 points, the Pioneer offense struggled to a season-low 40 points as the underdog Pioneers came up short in their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
The Pioneers culminated a terrific campaign with a 23-7 overall mark and a G-MAC Championship to their credit. The 23 wins marked the 4th most in school history and the most since 2002. The 14-win improvement from a season ago was also the highest in program history. In his first year, head coach Rick Tice led Malone to its first-ever NCAA Tournament where they ran into the hottest team in DII and the Eagles simply proved why they are ranked #1 in the country.
 
Recap
With the much of the buzz coming into the matchup being about Ashland's #1 offense, which came in averaging nearly 96 points a game, it was the Eagles' overlooked defense that set the tone early on. Malone was held to just one basket, a contested baseline jumper from Chrissie Vaughan, on its first 17 shots as a swarming Eagles defense seemed impenetrable.
 
After falling behind 25-8 through one quarter, the Pioneers dug themselves into a 35-8 hole midway through the second before a Baylen Dyrlund three-pointer finally stopped the bleeding. The Malone defense, which entered the weekend ranked #1 in the Midwest Region in opponents' field goal percentage, settled in to hold Ashland to just two field goals over the final six minutes of the second quarter.
 
The Malone offense, meanwhile, finally found some semblance of a rhythm as two three-pointers by Vaughan and another by senior Rachel Goddard highlighted a 12-4 run to close out the half. By the intermission, the Pioneers were just 5-of-27 (18.5%) from the field. The host Eagles were 17-of-36 (47.2%) from the field and forced Malone into 10 first-half turnovers. The soaring Eagles led 39-20 at the break.
 
Ashland would quickly regain an insurmountable 20-point advantage in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Hannah McCue's layup at the 7:54 mark period accounted for Malone's first points in the paint of the day. The senior forward's three-pointer at the 1:09 mark brought the Pioneers to within 20 (51-31), but Malone failed to get any closer.
 
Malone played close in the second and third quarters , trailing by just four combined points after posting identical 14-12 margins, but the first-quarter deficit was too much to overcome. Ashland outscored Malone 19-8 in the fourth quarter and advanced to the Midwest Regional Semifinal Saturday night with the 72-40 victory.
 
As the Pioneer season came to an end on Friday so did the exceptional career of Rachel Goddard, who in just three seasons at Malone finished 15th on the all-time scoring list with 1175 points and 5th on the all-time assists list with 314.
 
Goddard will be joined in graduation by fellow seniors Hannah McCue, Alaina Schwarz, Mackenzie Storlie, Natalie Nickol, and Victoria McDuffie.
 
Game Highlights
-Malone limited a potent Ashland attack to a season-low 72 points on 44.3% (31-of-70) shooting. The 44.3% was the Eagles fourth-lowest total of the season.
-The Pioneer offense, though, totaled just 10 field goals on 58 shot attempts (17.2%). The 40 points and the 17.2% shooting were the lowest totals since 2011.
-Ashland dominated inside, collecting 55 rebounds to Malone's 37 and outscoring the Pioneers 42-6 in the paint.
-The Eagles totaled 24 assists to just 11 turnovers while Malone was guilty of 16 turnovers and charted only five assists.
-The Pioneers were, however, 15-of-18 (83.3%) at the free throw line while the Eagles were just 6-of-13 (46.2%)
-Malone added five three-pointers and finished with a school record 270 threes on the season.
 
Malone Individual Highlights
-Baylen Dyrlund had one of those threes and finished with a team-high nine points to go along with nine rebounds.
-Hannah McCue totaled eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
-Chrissie Vaughan chipped in with eight first-half points.
-In her final collegiate game, Rachel Goddard contributed five points and three assists.
 
Ashland Individual Highlights
-All-American forward Andi Daugherty tallied 15 points, eight boards, four assists, and three steals.
-Fellow All-American forward Laina Snyder added 10 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
-Julie Worley totaled 13 points and eight boards
-Renee Stimpert provided nine points and four assists.