LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Bellarmine University women's basketball team is hoping to make a definitive statement in concluding the 2016 portion of its schedule.

At 1 p.m. (ET) Friday at Knights Hall, No. 4 Bellarmine (10-0) will host top-ranked Ashland (13-0) in a top-5 matchup of unbeaten squads. The showdown pits the region's top 2 ranked teams against one another.

Ashland, last year's top seed and host of the DII NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional, has been punishing its opposition this season while rising to No. 1 in the country. The Eagles are scoring 95.7 points per game — which is second in the country — and allowing 57.4. Their closest contest was their most recent, a 14-point win over Grand Valley State on Dec. 19.

Ashland, which is 6-0 on the road, boasts a highly efficient offense. The Eagles are shooting 51.1 percent from the floor and have amassed 25.5 assists per game. They knock down a little over seven 3-pointers an outing. More testaments to their dominance are a plus-10.9 rebounding margin, 15.5 steals per game and 5.5 blocks per contest.

Five different players average in double figures for Ashland. Laina Snyder is tops at 17.6, Andi Daugherty is next at 14.3, Kelsey Peare and Jodi Johnson both add 11.2, and Julie Worley is at 10.9. All five shoot 48.8 percent or better. Snyder is the leading rebounder at 10.3 per game, while four different players average 3.5 assists or more.

Bellarmine is coming off two victories in the Palm Beach Atlantic Holiday Hoops Classic. In the first, a 68-61 win over Florida Tech, senior forward Sarah Galvin joined the program's 1,000-point club. In the second, an 82-70 triumph over Palm Beach Atlantic, Coach Chancellor Dugan recorded her 400th career head-coaching victory.
Bellarmine's 10-0 start is two shy of the program record — the 1991-92 squad started 12-0. The Knights began last season 11-0 and landed a trip to Ashland for the NCAA Midwest Regional.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this year's streak is the Knights have played a single home game, posting an 82-81 overtime win over Ohio Dominican on Nov. 19. Bellarmine's unbeaten mark has been built almost solely on road contests (5-0) and neutral-site clashes (4-0).

Galvin, a preseason All-American, continues to pace Bellarmine at 16.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Junior guard Raven Merriweather follows at 12.4 points, senior guard Destony Curry averages 10.0 and senior guard Whitney Hartlage is at 9.9.

For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow us on Twitter (@BUKnights), Instagram (BUKnights), Facebook (BUKnights) and the BUKnights mobile app available for iPhone and Android.