CLEVELAND — Ashland senior Sam Chable has gotten close to a winning a national championship in her career, but never this close. She's one win away from her first national championship. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ashland University's women's basketball team is about to play in the national championship game

  • The Eagles are undefeated this season

  • Before this year, Ashland has been in four national title games since 2012, winning two of them

“To be competing for a national championship, especially my senior year, it’s such a blessing," Chable said. "It kinda does feel a little bit like redemption or like, what could have been my freshman year."

She was primed for a deep run in the NCAA tournament in March of 2020, which was her freshman season. The COVID-19 pandemic cut that short.

“We were in Missouri," Chable said. "I remember practicing and they told us right after the practice and so, the next day we were on a bus back home. We went from such a high to such a low.”

The program has been in four national title games since 2012, winning two of them. Head coach Kari Pickens helped win a championship as a player here in 2013. The school said she could become the first woman to win a Division II national title as a player, assistant coach and head coach. But she’s focused on her players.     

“This team has been really special to coach," Pickens said. "They’ve been incredibly selfless, and I want them to be able to experience this," 

Chable walks by the two women's basketball championship trophies every day before practice. They motivate her to add her team to the wall.

“You really can’t make a better ending to a career than I think a national championship," Chable said. "And so that would just be icing to the cake of what I’ve had."

The Ashland Eagles are undefeated heading into the game. If they cut down the nets, they’ll be the sixth Division II women’s basketball team to win three or more national championships.