ASHLAND, Ohio - The women's basketball team continues to show improvement as evidenced on Friday with a hard-fought 62-56 loss at Ashland. The Eagles have owned the all-time series and this was the closest game to date against a program that has tasted national success at the NCAA Division II level.

The Panthers led for the first time at halftime this season up 28-23 at the break. Davenport played tough defense holding the Eagles to 9-of-30 shooting from the floor including 3-of-12 behind the arc. The Eagles showed some resiliency in the second half to pull out the win outscoring the Panthers 39-28 in the final 20 minutes.

The contest featured six ties and nine lead changes. DU led 7-6 at the 3:31 mark of the first quarter and kept that lead all the way into the third quarter. Ashland tied the game at 28 with 8:19 left in the third and built a five-point lead at 33-28 after an Annie Roshak three-pointer. The Panthers stormed back to take a 41-37 lead at the 2:44 mark after Scout Nelson nailed a triple. 

The teams were tied at 41 heading into the fourth quarter. DU led briefly 44-43 early in the final quarter but the Eagles went on a 9-0 run to seize control. The Panthers got within one possession at 59-56 with 1:17 to go after Toni Grace made a pair of free throws. DU had three possessions to tie the game but two missed shots and had a turnover. Erica Warren made one of two at the line with five seconds left to put the game on ice.

Grace led the Panthers with 16 points and went 6-of-6 from the foul line. She entered the game ranked 4th nationally in free throw percentage and is now 36-of-37 this season. Emily Lange added 11 points and seven rebounds. Taylor Opolka had 10 points, six rebounds and two steals off the bench in 18 minutes. DU shot 32.8 percent for the game while AU shot 39.3 percent. DU's nine three-pointers was the second-most as a team this season and they have made 20 triples in the last two contests.