Box Score ASHLAND, Ohio – Junior forward Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) set a career high with 20 rebounds to go with his team-high 24 points, but the Eagles never led in an 81-69 loss to Central State at the Ohio Dominican Classic in Columbus on Friday (Nov. 18) night.
Yates and 15 points and 11 boards in the second half, but the Eagles (1-1) only matched the Marauders (2-1) over the final 20 minutes after trailing by 12 points at halftime. Y ates is the first Ashland player to have 20 rebounds in a game since Mike Campbell had 20 rebounds against Tiffin on Dec. 22, 2001.
Central State blitzed Ashland with a 9-0 run to start the game and the Eagles were never within six points for the rest of the game. AU was out-shot, 48.5 percent to 29.0 percent, in the first half and trailed, 39-27, at the intermission.
Greg Rice scored a game-high 34 points and added 13 rebounds to help the Marauders to the win. He was 12-for-16 from the field, including a 5-for-6 mark from 3-point range.
The Eagles struggled from long range, knocking down just 3-of-23 from beyond the arc. Freshman forward Paul Honigford (Sugarcreek, Ohio/Garaway) and senior forward Antoine Childs (Beaver Falls, Pa./Western Carolina) had 10 points apiece as the only Eagles other than Yates in double figures.
The Eagles will need to have a quick memory as they finish the Ohio Dominican Classic on Saturday (Nov. 19) against Lourdes. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. AU beat Lourdes twice last season.
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