Box Score ASHLAND, Ohio – Playing basketball in the GLIAC is tough. It's even tougher on the road. The AU men's basketball team was dealt that lesson Thursday (Jan. 20) evening at O'Neill Arena in a 77-63 loss to Saginaw Valley State.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Ashland, the last two coming at Kates Gymnasium. It was the third straight win for the Cardinals, who are finding their footing just as the GLIAC schedule heads into its weekly grind.
Ashland (8-7, 2-6 GLIAC) never led in the game and was behind by as many as 17 points in the first half. To climb out of a hole like that in a hostile environment takes some intestinal fortitude.
The Eagles did just that, trimming the SVSU lead to 36-25 by halftime. Senior forward Kale Richardson (Carroll, Ohio/Bloom-Carroll) converted a three-point play on the first possession of the second half to cut the lead to eight.
AU continued to chip away at the Cardinals' lead in the first part of the half. Senior forward Justin Garris' (Ledgewood, N.J./NJIT) layup with 12:42 to play put the Eagles behind by just a point, 43-42.
The teams traded baskets for a couple possessions and Keithan Jackson put the Cardinals (7-8, 3-6 GLIAC) ahead by three points, 47-44. Senior guard Ryan Janer (Bay City, Mich./University of Detroit) knocked down a three-pointer on the following possession, tying the game for the first time.
After all the energy the Eagles expended to climb back in the game, Jackson and Dan Genther scored the next eight points in the game, giving the Cards a 55-47 lead with 8:53 to play.
Sophomore guard David Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Florida) scored a layup and hit a three-pointer to cut the lead back to three points, and after a Michael Fugate layup, Ashland freshman forward Will Evans (Lexington, Ky./Christian Academy) knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead down to two, 57-55, with 7:18 to play.
The Eagles were finished on the next Saginaw Valley run, a 6-0 burst that carried the Cardinals to the win.
Sophomore center Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) paced the Eagles with 15 points with four rebounds and two assists. Richardson finished with 14 points and seven boards, while Harris had 11 points and four steals.
The Cardinals beat Ashland on the glass, 41-31, led by Jackson, who had 11 boards and 14 points. Fugate had a game-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
Ashland shot just 37.9 percent from the floor, its lowest figure since a Dec. 19 loss to Hillsdale. It was the sixth straight time the Eagles held their opponent to less than 45 percent shooting from the field – the Cardinals shot 43.6 percent.
Ashland continues its trek through GLIAC North road play on Saturday (Jan. 22) with a trip to the Upper Peninsula to square off with Lake Superior State, which beat Lake Erie, 62-57, on Thursday. Tip-off with the Lakers is set for 1 p.m.
AU
MBB/BB
