Box Score CANTON, Ohio - Malone's Cory Veldhuizen should really give some thought to being a theatre major.
The 6-4 junior forward scored 27 points Saturday (Jan. 12), 20 in the second half, to send the Pioneers past the Ashland University Eagles, 73-65 in a GLIAC men's basketball game at Malone's Osborne Hall.
Veldhuizen's sense of drama was impeccable. Every time in the second half the Pioneers needed a big bucket, it seemed he was there to provide it. Had this been a script, it would have seemed too improbable to pen.
The loss was AU's fourth straight and puts the Eagles at 4-9, 2-8 in the conference. Malone is 7-6 and 5-5.
Veldhuizen was 7-of-9 from three-point range, 6-of-8 in the second half. Entering the game he was averaging 9.8 ppg., and was shooting 15 percent (3-of-20) from three-point range.
Veldhuizen was able to shake free for much of the game due to the presence of guard Isiah Elliott. Elliott is one of the GLIAC's top scorers (17.7 ppg.) and the attention he gets can give his teammates good looks. Still, it's one thing to get opportunities, it's another to take advantage of them.
The Eagles certainly had their chances to win this game. The game was tied at halftime, 29-29 and after the Eagles came out and scored nine quick points to take a 38-29 lead with 17:36 left to play, it looked as if the game's momentum was swinging Ashland's way. With 15:18 left, the Eagles had their largest lead, 44-32.
Thanks in large part to that sharp shooting from Veldhuizen and Elliott's ability to penetrate, Malone battled back to tie the game, 53-53 on a free throw by Elliott with 6:36 to go. The teams were tied for the eighth and final time, 55-55 with 5:35 to play.
With the clock showing 4:38, Elliott scored on a lob from Che Richardson for a 57-55 Malone lead. Richardson's pass was behind Elliott, but the acrobatic guard was able to adjust in the air, reach back, gather the ball and lay it in off the glass. AU's next possession resulted in a pair of missed three-pointers by junior forward Will Evans (Lexington, Ky.Christian Academy).
After that last Evans miss, Malone got the rebound and fed Veldhuizen on the right wing. His triple made it 60-55. AU got as close as three points – 60-57 with 3:31 left on two free throws by sophomore guard Brook Turson (Plymouth, Ohio/Columbus State) - but Veldhuizen came to the rescue again, drilling a three with 2:04 to go to give the Pioneers a 63-57 lead. The Eagles never recovered.
From the AU perspective, this game got away in the first half. At halftime, AU was shooting 43.5 percent from the field (10-of-23) and 50 percent (3-of-6) from three-point range. Ashland was out-rebounding the Pioneers, 23-15. But the teams were tied after 20 minutes thanks in large part to the fact that the Eagles had 11 turnovers compared to three for the home team. At the break, Malone led in points off of turnovers, 10-3.
Senior forward Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) led the Eagles with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Evans had 17 points. Yates had 14 points in the second half and Evans had 10 after halftime. After those early problems holding onto the basketball, AU had only five second half turnovers. AU out-rebounded the Pioneers, 38-32.
Elliott finished with 22 points (8-of-20 from the floor). He scored 10 of Malone's first 18 points. Sophomore guard DaWuan Thomas (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood Madison) spent most of the afternoon on Elliott and more than held his own in that matchup. The Eagles forced Elliott into three turnovers.
AU's next game will be this coming Thursday (Jan. 17, 5:30 p.m.) against Findlay.
AU
MBB/ALK
