Ashland University's men's basketball team is making moves in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, winning its second consecutive league home game on Saturday (Dec. 10) afternoon by doubling up visiting Northwood, 82-41.
The Eagles move back to the .500 mark at 4-4 overall and 2-1 in the Great Midwest on
Lebron Gladden Team Room Dedication and Alumni Day, while the Timberwolves are 1-9, 1-3.
"We've played a tough schedule to start here," said Ashland head coach
John Ellenwood. "That schedule has helped us to start understanding what's really of value when we're playing out there every possession.
Ashland remains one game in the loss column out of first place in the early going of the league season.
The consecutive games allowing 50 or fewer points is a first for the Eagles since Nov. 21 and 24, 2014. The 41 points allowed on Saturday are Ashland's best on defense since a 108-39 home win over Ohio-Chillicothe on Nov. 20, 2019, and the best in a conference game since a 41-28 loss at Lewis on Feb. 19, 1983.
"Our defense is getting better," Ellenwood said. "I think we're battling a lot better, we're talking a lot better. Young teams, if you can get them to play hard, you'll have a good team for a long time. I think we're hopefully going down that road."
WHAT HAPPENED
- The Eagles ran out to a 7-0 lead in the first 90 seconds prior to a Timberwolves timeout. Ashland fashioned a 13-2 run going into the second media timeout of the first half, and led 23-10 at that point thanks to hitting 10 of its first 12 shots.
- Ashland's biggest lead of the first half was the score it went into the break with, 46-17. The Eagles made 62.5 percent from the floor in the first 10 minutes, while keeping the T'Wolves to 21.1 percent and 1-of-11 from the 3-point line.
- When Northwood scored a basket at the 16:30 mark of the second half, that stopped a 10-plus-minute stretch where AU kept the Timberwolves off the board.
THE WRAP-UP
- Four Eagles scored in double figures, led by junior center Victor Searls' career-high-tying 18 points on 9-of-13 shooting. Searls added nine rebounds and a pair of steals.
- Freshman point guard Simon Wheeler scored 14 points on 7-of-9 from the field, while adding five rebounds, a career-high-tying six assists and two blocks.
- Senior guard Brandon Haraway and redshirt freshman forward Maceo Williams each finished with 10 points. Haraway also dished out six assists, and Williams had seven rebounds.
- "It's not just one guy," Ellenwood said. "We have some special players, don't get me wrong. If you can go into your bench, and I think we're starting to do that better than we have since I've gotten here…that's tough to stop teams like that."
- The Eagles made 58.1 percent from the field, and their 53 rebounds (53-27 advantage) were the most since Dec. 29, 2012 at home vs. Ohio Christian (55).
UP NEXT
Ashland will continue its homestand on Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. vs. Kentucky Wesleyan (5-3, 2-0).
