Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
Kates Gymnasium, Ashland, Ohio
Findlay (10-4/7-3 GLIAC) at Ashland (4-9/2-8 GLIAC)
Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, 1 p.m.
Kates Gymnasium, Ashland, Ohio
Hillsdale (10-4/6-4 GLIAC) at Ashland (4-9/2-8 GLIAC)
(Both games will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM 1340 with Matt Brubaker on the call. The campus radio station, WRDL-FM, will do both games live. The Findlay-AU game will be shown on SportsTime Ohio on Thursday at 11 p.m., and Friday, Jan. 18, at 5 a.m., 12 p.m., and 5 p.m. Ted Klopp and Ken Dworznik will call the game on STO.)
Setting The Scene
The Ashland University Eagles have not played at home since Dec. 29. That's not an extended vacation. It's been anything but rest and relaxation for the Eagles over the last two weeks.
During that stretch, AU has gone 0-4, losing four GLIAC games. The Eagles hope a return to Kates Gymnasium can reverse their recent fortunes. Ashland plays six of its next seven games at home. The Eagles are 4-2 at home this season.
The week begins with a date against rival Findlay. The Oilers sit in first place in the GLIAC South Division. On Saturday, Hillsdale comes to town. The Chargers are in second place in the GLIAC South Division. AU is seventh in the GLIAC South Division.
About the Eagles
Last week, the Eagles lost at Walsh (74-66, Jan. 10) and Malone (73-65, Jan. 12). In both instances, the Eagles were unable to hold onto second half leads. At Malone, AU had a 12-point lead with 15 minutes left to go. At Walsh, AU was in front by seven points with 9:28 to play in regulation…the coaching staff has to hope that the return home can help the Eagles jump start their offense. On the year, AU is averaging 65.9 ppg. At home, the Eagles are scoring 70.0 ppg…in two games last week the Eagles led in points in the paint, 74-54…at Walsh, the Eagles shot 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the floor in the second half. That's the best half, percentage-wise, the Eagles have enjoyed this season. The previous high was 59.1 percent (13-of-22) against Ferris State at Kates Gymnasium on Dec. 1…this is Ashland's first four-game slide since Feb. 12, 2011 to Feb. 24, 2011, when the Eagles suffered four consecutive losses.…the Eagles have five road games remaining and all of those are in Ohio except for a trip to Hillsdale on Feb. 16. …the Eagles are 0-7 on the road this season. The last time Ashland won a road game was Feb. 2, 2012, at Ohio Dominican (69-59)…a year ago, Ashland was 3-8 away from home, 2-7 in GLIAC road games. In 2011-12, the Eagles were 12-2 at home with the losses coming to Hillsdale and Wayne State…the Eagles were +6 on the glass at Malone, that's the second best figure of the season, trailing only the +19 against Ohio Christian (Dec. 29). The Eagles have out-rebounded the opposition in four of the last six games…AU is 4-3 when holding the lead at halftime…no player on the roster has started every game this season…the Eagles are 1-1 in games decided by three points or less…the Eagles canned a season-low three triples at Walsh. AU is fifth in the conference in three-pointers per game (6.9)...at Walsh, AU shot 76.5 percent (13-of-17) at the free throw line. That's the Eagles' third best mark at the line this year. Their best performance was at home against Northwood (84.2/16-of-19).
Eagles To Watch
Senior forward Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) was a first team All-GLIAC and all-region choice a year ago and was a second team All-American (Daktronics). He was the first AU men's basketball player to receive All-America laurels in 20 years. In the GLIAC, the senior is second in rebounding (9.8 rpg.), eighth in blocked shots per game (1.1), ninth in scoring (16.4 ppg.) and 10th in field goal percentage (53.4). Yates is 26th in the nation in rebounds per game. Yates has scored 20 or more points in a game four times this season and reached double digits in rebounds five times. He retrieved 20 missed shots against Ohio Christian, which tied his career high.
Yates has five double-doubles this season. His last one came at Malone where he had 21 points and 15 rebounds. Yates shot 67.9 percent (19-of-28) from the floor last week. In his career, Yates has scored 1,360 points and secured 722 rebounds. Yates is third in career rebounds at Ashland, trailing Larry Aulger (1,188) and Greg Emmons (734). Yates is ninth in career points. Eighth place belongs to Emmons with 1,438 points.
Yates has logged 35 or more minutes in three of the last four games.
Junior forward Will Evans (Lexington, Ky./Christian Academy) notched his first double-double of the season at Michigan Tech (Jan. 5) with 14 points and 10 rebounds. The double-double was the second of his career, his first was at Ohio Dominican last season (Feb. 2, 2012) when he had 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Evans is second on the team in scoring (9.7 ppg.) and rebounding (5.8 rpg.) and he leads the club in treys (18). Over the last three games, Evans has brought down 9.0 rpg. In two games last week, Evans shot 55.6 percent (5-of-9) on three-point field goal attempts. Evans is 14th in the GLIAC in rebounds per game.
Senior guard Ronnie Steward (Columbus, Ohio/Akron) is third on the team in scoring (9.2 ppg.). Steward is the team leader in free throw percentage (70.6) and he's tied for first in assists (30).
DaWuan Thomas (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) is AU's fourth leading scorer at 6.8 ppg. He normally draws the opposition's toughest assignment in the backcourt. Thomas has a team-leading 13 steals.
Sophomore forward Paul Honigford (Sugarcreek, Ohio/Garaway) is ninth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (42.4/14-of-33). Honigford averages 5.7 ppg.
Sophomore guard Cole Krizancic (Mentor, Ohio) had developed into a consistent scoring threat off the bench. Krizancic is second on the team in three-point field goals (15) and three-point field goal percentage (41.7). Krizancic is averaging 4.8 ppg., but over the last four games he's been good for 9.3 ppg.
Senior guard David Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Florida) is tied for first on the team in assists (30). Harris averages 5.1 ppg.
Head Coach John Ellenwood
AU head coach John Ellenwood is in his fourth season at Ashland. A year ago, he guided the Eagles to a 15-12 record, 10-9 in GLIAC play. Ellenwood is a 2000 College of Wooster grad. This past fall, he was inducted into the college's Hall of Fame. At Ashland, Ellenwood is 45-49. His career record as a college head coach is 75-97. Ellenwood came to AU from Thomas More, where he was the head coach for three years.
About the Oilers (10-4/7-3 GLIAC)
The Oilers figure to be breathing fire as they head to Ashland. Last Saturday, they lost at home to Tiffin, 57-55. Findlay shot 22.2 percent from the field in that game. In the first half, UF shot 13.3 percent (4-of-30) from the floor. The loss to the Dragons ended UF's home GLIAC winning streak at 81 games.
Findlay is third in the conference in scoring (73.5 ppg.) and second in three-pointers per game (7.6). Findlay is fourth in the league in points allowed per game (63.6). The Oilers lead the conference in three-point attempts per game (22.5), free throw percentage (76.2), free throws made per game (18.5) and three-point field goal percentage defense (25.9).
UF has won four of its last six games. The Oilers are 2-2 on the road. Of Findlay's four losses, one was to the nation's top-ranked team – West Liberty. Findlay lost at Wayne State in overtime and at Michigan Tech.
Charlie Ernst is in his second season as the head coach. He was a long-time assistant at the school under Ron Niekamp. A year ago Ernst led the Oilers to a 24-7 finish, 14-5 in the GLIAC. Findlay won the GLIAC Tournament championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament.
Greg Kahlig, a 6-6, 215-pound junior guard, is Findlay's leading scorer at 14.4 ppg. Brad Piehl, a 6-8, 225-pound senior forward, averages 11.6 ppg. Aaron Robinson, a 6-3, 190-pound senior guard, averages 10.4 ppg., and 1.4 spg. Jake Heagen, a 6-5, 205-pound sophomore forward, brings down 5.2 rpg., and gets 1.4 spg. Heagen had 12 rebounds against Tiffin.
Eagles-Oilers
Findlay leads the all-time series with Ashland, 55-23. The Oilers have won eight of the last nine games.
A year ago, the Eagles won at Kates Gymnasium, 94-80 and lost at Findlay, 79-49. Steward scored a career-high 31 points in the win in Ashland. At Findlay, the Eagles had 20 turnovers and paid a huge price for those mistakes – UF led in points off of turnovers, 33-9. Kahlig had 20 points against the Eagles at Kates Gymnasium and 12 points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots at Findlay. In two games against the Oilers last year, Yates averaged 19.5 ppg., and 7.5 rpg. In the game at AU, all five Ashland starters scored in double digits and the Eagles shot 54.5 percent (30-of-55) from the floor and 96.3 percent (26-of-27) at the free throw line.
The last time Findlay won in Ashland was during the 2010-11 season, 70-58. The teams played three times during the 2009-10 season and the Oilers won all three games. The third game came in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament. The Oilers won that game at home, 100-90.
About the Chargers (10-4/6-4 GLIAC)
Hillsdale visits Lake Erie on Thursday before playing at Ashland. The Chargers are 8-1 at home and 2-3 on the road. Last week, HC defeated Tiffin, 96-78 and Ohio Dominican, 86-59. Hillsdale is the league leader in rebound margin (+9.1), assists per game (15.9), three-point field goals per game (8.6) and three-point field goal percentage (41.5). Hillsdale is third in the GLIAC in points allowed per game (61.6).
Tim Dezelski, a 6-6, 235-pound junior forward, is sixth in the conference in scoring (16.7 ppg.). He's second in field goal percentage (59.0) and tied for seventh in rebounds per game (8.1). Nick Washburn, a 6-10, 260-pound senior center, is averaging 13.2 ppg., and 8.1 rpg. Washburn is tied with Dezelski for seventh in the conference in rebounding. Washburn has rejected 26 shots (2.0 bpg.), which makes him the league leader.
Ryan Choiniere, a 6-6, 195-pound senior forward, is fifth in the GLIAC in assist-turnover ratio (2.9).
The Chargers advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago after winning the GLIAC regular season title. Last year's team went 24-6, 16-3 in conference play. Head coach John Tharp is in his sixth season on campus. He's 100-54 on the HC bench. Over the last two years, Hillsdale is 44-12.
Eagles-Chargers
Recent history has not been kind to the Eagles in this matchup. Hillsdale has won nine consecutive games against Ashland and has taken the lead, 25-22 in the all-time series. AU went 0-3 against the Chargers last season. During the regular season, Hillsdale won, 70-43 at Kates Gymnasium and in Hillsdale, 82-79 in overtime. The teams met in the first round of the GLIAC Tournament at HC and the Chargers prevailed in overtime, 74-71.
Yates averaged 11.0 rpg., in those three games. In the playoff game, he scored 23 points and had 11 boards. Washburn was a handful for AU in all three games. In the three games he averaged 14.0 ppg., 7.0 rpg., and 3.0 bpg. In the playoff game, he rejected five shots.
Ashland's last victory over the Chargers came at Hillsdale during the 2007-08 season, 95-80. AU's last win against HC at Kates Gymnasium came during the 2006-07 season, 71-67. Before this losing streak started, AU had gone 5-1 against the Chargers from 2005-06 through 2007-08.
Up Next
Next week, the Eagles play at Ohio Dominican on Thursday (Jan. 24, 5:30 p.m.) and host Tiffin on Saturday (Jan. 26, 1 p.m.).
AU
MBB/ALK
