Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, 5:30 p.m.
Kates Gymnasium, Ashland, Ohio
Ohio Dominican (4-20/1-18 GLIAC) at Ashland (10-12/8-11 GLIAC)
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013, 1 p.m.
Gilmor Center, Tiffin, Ohio
Ashland (10-12/8-11 GLIAC) at Tiffin (9-16/6-13 GLIAC)
(Both of this week's games will be broadcast live on WNCO-AM 1340 with Matt Brubaker on the call. The game with Ohio Dominican will be replayed on SportsTime Ohio. Ted Klopp and Ken Dworznik will call the game for STO. The AU-ODU game will be shown on STO on Thursday at 11:30 p.m. and on Friday, Feb. 22, at 7 a.m., noon and 5 p.m.).
Setting The Scene
The Eagles have three regular season games remaining and are making a push to try and get into the GLIAC postseason tournament. AU begins this week one game behind Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State for the final spots in the eight-team tournament. Both of those teams are 9-10, a game ahead of the Eagles.
Thursday's game against Ohio Dominican is the final home game of the season for AU. The four seniors on this year's team will be honored prior to tip-off.
The Eagles went 1-1 last week and have won five of their last six games.
About the Eagles
The four seniors who will be honored prior to the Thursday night tip-off are guards David Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Florida) and Ronnie Steward (Columbus, Ohio/Akron) and forwards Chris Meyer (Kenston, Ohio/Hiram) and Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills)…last week the Eagles lost at Findlay, 69-52 and won at Hillsdale, 64-56. The victory at HC snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Chargers. The win was the first for AU head coach John Ellenwood against the Chargers. That was also AU's first road victory since a 69-59 triumph at Ohio Dominican on Feb. 2, 2012…AU shot 45 free throws last week compared to 29 for the opposition. The Eagles are fifth in the conference in free throw attempts per game (20.8) and free throws made per game (14.6)…at Hillsdale, the Eagles erased a six-point halftime deficit and outscored the Chargers, 43-29 over the last 20 minutes. In the second half, AU shot 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from the field and 5-of-5 from three-point distance. The Eagles were also 14-of-19 at the free throw line (73.7) after the break…AU was +8 on the glass at Hillsdale. AU is 7-5 when out-rebounding the opposition…the Eagles are fourth in the conference in turnovers per game (12.3). Over the last five games, AU has turned the ball over 11.4 times per game…Findlay and Hillsdale combined to shoot 27 percent (10-of-37) from three-point range against AU last week. For the year, the Eagles are second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage defense (32.2).
In their last four home games, the Eagles have averaged 78.8 ppg. On the year, the Eagles are averaging 70.3 ppg., at home. Overall, the Eagles are scoring 66.7 ppg...AU is 9-3 at home this season…the Eagles are 1-9 on the road this season…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…AU is 6-5 this season against GLIAC South Division foes. Last season the Eagles went 6-6 in the division…Ashland is 3-1 in games decided by three points or less.
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.
Yates is third in the GLIAC in rebounds per game (9.2). He's sixth in scoring (16.5 ppg.) and seventh in field goal percentage (54.8) and blocked shots per game (1.2). The senior is 22nd in the nation in rebounds per game and tied for 21st in double-doubles (nine).
The Cincinnati native has scored 20 or more points in a game six times this season.
Yates has been named the GLIAC South Division player of the year once this season. Yates scored a career-high 32 points against Walsh on Feb. 7. His previous high was 31 points against Point Park (Nov. 23, 2011).
In his career, the 6-6, 245-pound Yates has scored 1,509 points and secured 798 rebounds. Yates is second in career rebounds at AU. The only player Yates trails is Larry Aulger (1,188). The senior is eighth in career points. Last week, Yates moved past Rob Wininger (1,501) on the career list. The next player in front of him is Isaac Kincaid (1,524).
Junior forward Will Evans (Lexington, Ky./Christian Academy) is second on the team in scoring (9.1 ppg.) and rebounding (5.9 rpg.). Evans is 16th in the conference in rebounds per game.
Sophomore guard Brook Turson (Plymouth, Ohio/Columbus State) is fourth on the team in scoring (8.2 ppg.). In two games last week Turson averaged 10.0 ppg., and 8.0 rpg. He grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds at Hillsdale. Turson is third on the team in rebounds per game (4.6).
Turson scored a career-high 27 points against Lake Erie (Feb. 2). In that game he had eight three-point field goals, one shy of the school, single-game record (9 by Wininger vs. Mercyhurst, 1997).
DaWuan Thomas (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) is averaging 7.3 ppg. Thomas, a 6-1, 175-pound redshirt sophomore guard, has a team-leading 21 steals. He's 20th in the conference in steals per game (1.1).
Sophomore guard Cole Krizancic (Mentor, Ohio) is eighth in the GLIAC in three-point field goal percentage (42.5). Krizancic has a team-high 31 triples. Last week, in two games, Krizancic scored a team-leading 14.0 ppg. He was 4-for-9 from three-point range (44.4 percent) and scored a career-high 17 points at Findlay.
Senior guard David Harris (Cincinnati, Ohio/Florida) is tied with Thomas for the team lead in assists (46).
Steward, one of the four seniors on this year's team, is out with a knee injury. In his career, Steward has scored 629 points. A year ago, he was a second team All-GLIAC selection.
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 51-52. His career record as a college head coach is 81-100. Ellenwood came to AU from Thomas More, where he was the head coach for three years.
About the Panthers (4-20/1-18 GLIAC)
Ohio Dominican comes to town trying to break out of a six-game losing streak. The Panthers are in sixth place in the GLIAC South Division. ODU's last win came in Columbus, Ohio, against the Eagles, 67-64, on Jan. 24. Last week, the Panthers lost at Walsh, 92-59 and at Malone, 90-66.
The Panthers are 1-10 on the road this season. ODU is second in the GLIAC in offensive rebounds per game (12.3) and third in rebounds per game (34.5). Morgan Jones, a 5-9, 160-pound senior guard, is fifth in the conference in scoring (17.0 ppg.). He's fourth in the GLIAC in assists per game (4.3) and sixth in steals per game (1.8). Jones is coming off a 20-point performance at Malone.
John Trew, a 6-8, 200-pound forward, is 15th in the conference in rebounds per game (5.9). He's fifth in the league in blocks per game (1.3). Trew averages 7.9 ppg.
Bobby Stauffer, a 6-7, 205-pound sophomore center, is ninth in the GLIAC in rebounds per game (6.4). He's averaging 11.5 ppg.
Artie Taylor is in his sixth season as the ODU head coach.
Eagles-Panthers
Ashland leads the all-time series, 20-2.
In the first meeting this season, Jones scorched the Eagles for 22 points. Stauffer had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Trew had 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. The Panthers shot 51 percent (26-of-51) from the floor. AU out-rebounded the Panthers, 30-26 and led in second chance points, 13-4. In points in the paint, ODU led, 30-22. This game was close for 40 minutes. ODU led at halftime, 35-32. The score was tied eight times and the lead changed hands nine times.
Turson had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Eagles. Yates had 14 points and five rebounds.
A year ago, AU swept the Panthers, winning in Ashland, 96-86 and at Ohio Dominican, 69-58. The Panthers have never won at Kates Gymnasium. In addition to the victory in January, ODU upended the Eagles, 71-68 in Columbus during the 2010-11 campaign.
About the Dragons (9-16/6-13 GLIAC)
Tiffin will play at Lake Erie on Thursday. The Dragons begin the week in sixth place in the GLIAC South Division. Tiffin is 2-4 in its last six games and is 7-6 at home. Last week, the Dragons nipped Malone on the road, 68-65 and lost to Walsh, 88-70.
Joe Graessle, a 6-3, 205-pound senior guard, scored 24 points against Malone and 24 points against Walsh. Graessle is the GLIAC's second leading scorer (24.3). He is the league leader in steals (3.6) and is sixth in assists per game (3.9).
Eric Roby, a 6-6, 185-pound freshman forward, averages 9.1 ppg., and 5.8 rpg. Mike Boan, a 6-3 junior guard, scores 8.6 ppg., and brings down 5.2 rpg.
Eagles-Dragons
Ashland has a 20-game winning streak against the Dragons. The all-time series tilts in AU's favor, 26-4. The last time the Eagles lost to the Dragons was during the 1986-87 season, 76-74.
This week's game is the second meeting of the season between the teams. On Jan. 26 at Kates Gymnasium, AU held off the Dragons, 67-64. In that game, Krizancic had a team-high 15 points. The sophomore was 5-for-10 on three-point attempts. He had nine points in the second half. Yates came off the bench to tally 14 points and pull down nine rebounds. Evans had 12 points and six rebounds. Thomas completed AU's double digit parade with 10 points. Ashland was 24-of-28 (85.7 percent) at the free throw line. In the second half, the Eagles were 12-of-13 (92.3 percent) on free throw tries.
Graessle had 21 points to lead Tiffin.
A year ago, AU won at TU's Gilmore Center, 61-59. Yates had 16 points and 13 rebounds in that contest. Trailing by two points with 1.3 seconds left, the Dragons missed a pair of free throws and couldn't control the rebound and get off a shot at the final buzzer.
Up Next
Ashland ends the regular season next Saturday (Mar. 2, 1 p.m.) at Lake Erie.
AU
MBB/ALK
