Ashland University's men's basketball team had made a living coming back in the second half to win games in 2022-23.
The No. RV Eagles nearly did it again on Saturday (March 11) afternoon in a 2023 NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Tournament quarterfinal in Indianapolis, Ind., losing 71-70 to Ferris State after trailing by 17 points late in the first half and 11 at halftime.
Ashland's season ends at 22-10, and the Bulldogs move on at 24-7.
There were nearly as many fouls (four) and turnovers (five) as points (seven) combined in the first 2:40 of the game. Ashland led 9-7 at the game's first media timeout, and there were four lead changes in the game's first four minutes.
Leading 11-9, the Eagles allowed the Bulldogs to go on a 9-0 run for a seven-point FSU lead prior to an AU timeout. Ferris State took a 10-point lead at 23-13, then extended that lead to 28-13 at the end of a 10-0 run.
Back-to-back 3-point field goals from freshman point guard
Simon Wheeler and fifth-year forward
James Manns got Ashland's deficit back to single figures at 28-19. The Bulldogs, however, established their biggest lead to date at 40-23, but by halftime, a 6-0 AU spurt made it a 40-29 game heading into the locker room.
Manns had 12 points and Wheeler 10 at the half, but FSU's Solomon Oraegbu had a game-high 19 points going into the break.
To start the second half, Ashland got to within six points at 42-36, but Ferris State kept the Eagles at arm's length, and it was a 12-point Bulldogs lead at 60-48 – before AU started its own run. And that 8-0 run got the Eagles to within four points at 60-56.
A layup from senior guard
Ethan Conley pulled Ashland to within three at 63-60, but the clock was ticking, and it was a 65-60 deficit going into the last 90 seconds. Wheeler's layup with 30 ticks to go made it a 66-63 game, but Oraegbu's two charity tosses gave FSU a five-point lead once again.
Wheeler made two at the foul line to continue the late-game yo-yo at 68-65 with 21 seconds remaining, then the Bulldogs missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Senior guard
Brandon Haraway's layup with 14 seconds left made it a one-point game at 68-67, and the Eagles would count on another miss at the line from FSU.
Oraegbu made 1-of-2, but an Eagle offensive foul as the clock was ticking down effectively ended the game.
NOTABLES
- Wheeler scored a team-high 19 points and added five rebounds, four assists and four steals. Manns added 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
- The difference in Saturday's game was at the free-throw line – the Eagles were 12-of-24 (50 percent), the Bulldogs 17-of-22 (77.3 percent).
- Oraegbu scored a game-high 30 points in 27 minutes off the bench for the Bulldogs.
- Ashland's 22 wins in 2022-23 are the most for the program since 2018-19.
- The Eagles' 32 games played this season are the most in one campaign in the 103 seasons of Ashland men's basketball.
