Box Score GPS can help a traveller find a destination. Once there, however, it's up to the driver to make the best of the situation.
The AU men's basketball team completed its first two-game GLIAC road swing on Saturday (Dec. 7), losing at Ferris State, 92-87. The Eagles didn't really lose their way, but they couldn't find a way to apply the brakes against the Bulldogs when they needed to the most.
AU (2-3/0-2 GLIAC) made a nice push to get back into the game after trailing, 43-36 at the intermission. AU tied the game, 43-43 with 18:01 to play and then, after staring at a 69-58 deficit with 10:16 to play, rallied to get to within 86-84 on a Will Evans layup with 1:27 left in regulation.
FSU (2-3/2-0) increased its lead to 88-84 on a pair of free throws by Drew Lehman with 1:14 showing on the clock. Boo Osborne answered with a triple at the 1:02 mark to bring the Eagles to within 88-87.
The next points in the game came with sevens seconds left. Josh Fleming scored the last of his team-high 16 points with a pair of free throws and Ferris State led, 90-87. The Eagles couldn't get a shot off and two FSU free throws at game's end gave the home team its final five-point margin of victory.
AU fans will be left to wonder what could have happened if the Eagles could have done better at the free throw line. Ashland was 10-of-22 (45.5 percent) at the charity stripe. Ashland shot 55.1 percent (33-of-60) from the field.
AU had 13 turnovers compared to six for FSU and that helped the Bulldogs roll up a 20-12 spread in points off of turnovers.
As for the positives, the Eagles received a big spark off the bench from guard Cole Krizancic. He dropped in a career-high 25 points, connecting on 9-of-12 field goal tries. Krizancic was 6-of-7 on three-point shots. This is the second game this season where Krizancic came off pine to give the Eagles a shot in the arm. He had 17 points in the season opener with Oberlin.
Osborne, one of AU's young guards who should get better as the season progresses, had 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. The steady Evans had 11 points and seven rebounds, Brook Turson had 12 points and retrieved six missed shots and DaWuan Thomas had 10 points and six rebounds.
All five FSU starters reached double digits in scoring and six players in all reached that level. Fleming scored 14 points in the second half. Jared Stolicker had 11 points, a game-high seven rebounds and rejected two shots.
FSU shot 52.5 percent (32-of-61) from the field and 67.7 percent (21-of-31) from the free throw line. The Bulldogs were 15-of-22 (68.2) from the line in the second half.
The Eagles return to the court on Monday, Dec. 16 when they host Saginaw Valley State.
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