The Ashland University men's basketball team has played team defense in the last two weeks that would make legendary Eagle head coach
Bill Musselman quite proud.
On Monday (Dec. 19) afternoon at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles won their fourth consecutive game, 82-42, over Trevecca Nazarene. Ashland is 6-4 overall and 4-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, remaining one game back of first place in the loss column, and the Trojans are 1-8, 0-4.
"We had a really tough schedule (early), and a really young team," noted Ashland head coach
John Ellenwood. "There were a lot of injuries at the start of the year, we're starting to get healthy, we're starting to learn to play together, we're starting to get into a rotation."
Ashland's four-game winning streak is the program's best going into Christmas since starting the 2018-19 campaign at 10-0.
The Eagles kept the Trojans to 31.4-percent shooting from the field and 5-of-35 from the 3-point arc, and forced 20 turnovers, leading to 31 Ashland points. During the winning streak, AU has limited opponents to 31.3 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from the arc, and forced 54 turnovers.
"We're doing what we're supposed to do," Ellenwood said. "I was very proud of them."
WHAT HAPPENED
- It took a little more than three minutes for the first points of Monday's game, and it was an 8-7 Trevecca Nazarene lead at the first media timeout of the contest. The Eagles came out of those break scoring the game's next seven points, which prompted a Trojans timeout.
- Ashland's run was extended to 14-0 for a 21-8 lead, and the Eagles were in the free-throw bonus with 10:04 to go until halftime. At the break, AU led 34-16, with the disparity in shooting (Eagles 54.5 percent, Trojans 26.9 percent) the biggest factor. Ashland also forced 11 turnovers, turning them into 17 points.
- The scoring pace intensified to start the second half, with the Eagles outscoring the Trojans 17-11 in the first 6:22. Ashland led 57-27 inside of the 12-minute mark, then 63-28 with 9:17 to go, and finished off the victory from there.
THE WRAP-UP
- Junior center Victor Searls led AU with 17 points in just 18 minutes, and added four rebounds and three steals. Senior guard Brandon Haraway added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and chipped in with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
- Fifth-year forward James Manns rounded out three Eagles in double-digit scoring with 11 points.
- Ashland dished out 15 assists, led by freshman point guard Simon Wheeler's six. That helped the Eagles to shoot 61.5 percent from the field.
- "I love how we're passing the ball right now," said Ellenwood, whose team turned the ball over just seven times on Monday. "We have guys who play their roles really well."
- In the last four games, Ashland has connected on 54.3 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from the 3-point line, and won by an average of 27 points per contest.
UP NEXT
Ashland's men are off until Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. at Wayne State (4-5).
