The Ashland University men's basketball team got back on the court after an offseason that dragged on for nearly 10 months, but ultimately fell to host Mercyhurst, 73-59, in Erie, Pa.

After an offseason and a preseason broken up by COVID-19 positives, multiple quarantines and practicing in pods, just getting back to competition was no minor feat. It just took a little while for the Eagles to get back into an offensive rhythm.
 
The Eagles (0-1) were hurt by 13 turnovers in the first half against a Mercyhurst team that is coming off a pair of impressive home wins over Ferris State.
 
The Lakers (3-0), ranked No. 21 in the national coaches' poll, built a 24-7 lead early then took a 35-24 advantage into halftime.
 
Sophomore wing Ethan Conley scored the last eight points of the first half and finished with 11 points in the period.
 
After MiyKah McIntosh scored the opening bucket of the second half for Mercyhurst, the Eagles rattled off the next nine points, including a 3-pointer by freshman guard Hunter Shedenhelm and four free throws from senior forward Bo Furcron, to trim the margin to 37-33 with 15:30 to play.
 
While the Eagles limited their turnovers to just four in the second half, the Lakers went on an 11-0 run following AU's burst to take commanding 48-33 lead they would not relinquish.
 
Sophomore guard Brandon Haraway led the Eagles with 17 points and seven rebounds while Furcron chipped in 16 points in his Ashland debut.
 
Conley shot 4-for-6 from 3-point range and finished with 14 points and four rebounds. Shedenhelm scored eight points and hit two triples.
 
The Eagles shot 43 percent (20-for-47) from the field and went 9-for-19 (47 percent) from 3-point range.
 
Steve Cannady led the Lakers with 14 points in 17 minutes of the bench.
 
The Eagles are slated to return to the court next on Jan. 8 at Ferris State as they open conference play.