Box Score Basketball has an unfortunate way of balancing things out.
Ashland University's men's basketball team lost to Northwood Friday (Jan. 2) night, 73-72, on a buzzer-beating jumper by the Timberwolves' Maurice Jones. The Eagles now are 8-3 overall and 2-3 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while Northwood is 7-4, 3-2.
On Dec. 4, the Eagles won their GLIAC opener at home in four overtimes on a last-second 3-pointer by senior guard Cole Krizancic. On Friday night, Jones, one of the conference's top players who ended the game with just eight points, five assists and three rebounds, created the game-winning shot.
"I thought we did as good a job on him as we could," said Ashland head coach John Ellenwood. "He hit a fade-away 14-foot shot. That's why he is what he is.
"Our guys were down a couple times in that game and fought back."
Friday's game saw 15 lead changes and nine tie scores. Northwood ran out to a 17-6 lead, but Ashland chipped away until it was a 26-25 deficit. The Timberwolves then scored nine straight points to go up 35-25, but the Eagles responded with their own 9-0 run to end the first half and go into the locker room down 35-34.
The tightly-contested second half saw Northwood up 68-63 inside of three minutes remaining. Two free throws by Eagle sophomore forward Wendell Davis with 35 seconds left put Ashland ahead 71-70.
Northwood tied the game at 71 by splitting a pair of free throws with 14 seconds to go, then Davis put Ashland ahead 72-71 by doing the same with five seconds left. Jones then went on to hit his game-winning shot at the buzzer.
Davis, fighting through illness, paced the Eagles with 21 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals. It was his second double-double of the season.
"He's playing through a very bad illness for basketball," Ellenwood said. "He's got to give us something, and he did. He thought he lost it for us on one free throw, and our guys picked him up."
Senior forward Paul Honigford came off the bench to add 12 points, including three of the Eagles' eight 3-pointers, and senior guard Brook Turson had 10 points.
The Eagles, still tied with Wayne State for first place in the GLIAC South Division, will return to Kates Gymnasium for another conference home game Sunday (Jan. 4) at 3 p.m. against Lake Superior State (10-1, 5-0).
"I think this is the toughest combo to play in the North (Division) this year," said Ellenwood. "We got knocked down, and we have to get up and fight. That's the way the league is."
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