Box Score ASHLAND, Ohio – Life on the road is not easy. Life on the road in the GLIAC is a downright chore.
The AU men's basketball team labored through a first half that saw Wayne State shoot 57.7 percent (15-for-26) from the field, including a 72.7 percent (8-for-11) mark from 3-point range. The Eagles could not climb out of a 42-23 halftime deficit on Thursday (Jan. 26) night in Detroit, Mich., falling to the Warriors, 79-71.
The loss snapped the Eagles' seven-game winning streak. It was their longest winning bout since the 2002-03 season.
The Eagles (11-7, 6-5 GLIAC) tried to claw back into the game, getting within eight points, 68-60, after redshirt-freshman center Ben Mixer (Knoxville, Tenn./Roane State CC) finished his own miss with 3:41 left. The Eagles were never closer than eight until the closing seconds.
Wayne State (11-7, 8-5 GLIAC) led, 16-4, through 6:49 in the first half as the Eagles opened the game shooting 1-for-6 with four turnovers.
Junior forward Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) led the Eagles with 20 points and nine rebounds. He was limited to just 25 minutes after getting into early foul trouble.
Mixer set career highs with 12 points and three rebounds in 10 minutes off the bench. He was 5-for-6 from the field.
Redshirt-freshman guard DaWuan Thomas (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) scored 13 points and junior guard Ronnie Steward (Columbus, Ohio/Akron) added 12.
The Eagles had problems dealing with the shooting combination of Ian Larkin and Bryan Coleman, who combined for 25 of their 33 points in the first half. They hit 7-of-9 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes. Coleman finished with 17 points in 28 minutes off the bench to lead WSU in the scoring column.
Larkin and Stacey Waters had 16 points apiece and Ike Udanoh had 11 points.
The road doesn't get any easier for the Eagles, who travel to Findlay on Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip-off. AU hasn't won at Croy Gymnasium since the 2001-02 season.
Fans can follow that game and the women's game (1 p.m.) via a live blog at www.GoAshlandEagles.com.
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