Life in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference is just going to be this way – close games going down to the wire.
There was another one for Ashland University's men's basketball team on Saturday (Jan. 15) at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, but the Eagles lost to Findlay, 56-54. Ashland is 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the Great Midwest, while the Oilers are 10-5, 4-3.
"It was a hard-fought game today," said Ashland head coach
John Ellenwood. "It could have gone either way. It's one possession here and there, and you can look back and find 20 of them.
"Just came up two points short."
Ashland's last five games have been a three-point win, a four-point loss, an overtime win, a one-point win and a two-point loss.
"You're going to win some like this, and you're going to lose some like this," Ellenwood said.
WHAT HAPPENED
- Findlay scored the game's first five points, but the Eagles countered with the next nine points. The game would be tied at 12 inside of the 13-minute mark.
- A layup from senior forward Aaron Thompson re-tied the game at 23, and a spurt by each team left the halftime score at 29-28 in favor of the Eagles. Ashland shot 50 percent from the field, and kept the Oilers to 36.7 percent.
- The Eagles took their largest lead of the game at 39-33, thanks to an 8-0 spurt, forcing a Findlay timeout. The Oilers were not about to go away, however, ripping off a 13-0 run to take a 48-41 lead with 8:14 to play.
- Thompson started the comeback by stripping an offensive rebound away, then finding sophomore guard Hunter Shedenhelm for a triple. That started a rally which saw the Eagles get to within three points at 52-49, then again at 54-51.
- Senior guard Bo Furcron tied the game at 54 with a trey, but Findlay made 1-of-2 from the charity stripe to lead again. Ashland got two defensive stops, but missed a potential game-winner. After the Oilers made 1-of-2 again from the free-throw line, the Eagles had a chance to tie or win with 8.2 ticks to go, but another miss gave Findlay the victory.
THE WRAP-UP
- Junior guard Brandon Haraway finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Thompson had 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two steals.
- "It hurts when you lose them," Thompson said. "Findlay's a good team. Hat's off to them. Tough loss."
- Furcron ended with 10 points and six boards.
- Findlay, which entered the game averaging 79.2 points per game and leading the conference in field-goal percentage at 50.3, was kept to 56 points and 35.3-percent shooting from the floor.
UP NEXT
Ashland will remain at home on Thursday (Jan. 20) at 7:30 p.m. to take on Ohio Dominican (4-11, 2-6). That will start a stretch of three home games in five days.
AU
MBKB/DS
