A game which featured 15 lead changes and 10 ties resulted in a 75-74 Ashland University men's basketball loss to No. 13-ranked Ferris State on Wednesday (Nov. 20) night at the Sherrill Hudson Court at Kates Gymnasium.
The Eagles are 2-2, and the Bulldogs are 6-1. This was Ashland's third of five consecutive home games.
Back-to-back 3-point field goals from graduate forward
Javin Etzler got the Eagles off to a 6-0 start, then the lead was extended to 11-4. Ferris State, however, went on a 9-3 run to cut its deficit to a single point.
Inside of the 10-minute mark in the first half, the Bulldogs took a 19-18 lead on a triple, then junior forward
Maceo Williams' layup gave AU the lead again. Ferris State then went out to a 29-22 advantage, helped by second-chance points, but by halftime, the Eagles had whittled that down to three points at 35-32.
Williams did in the second half what Etzler did in the first, as five quick points gave Ashland the lead back at 37-35. Sophomore wing
Cooper Davis' 3 made it a 40-35 game.
The Bulldogs scored seven straight as the lead changed hands once more, but a Davis old-fashioned triple flipped the lead again. A thunderous breakaway dunk following an AU turnover put FSU ahead, 50-48.
Senior guard
Gbolahan Adio returned the favor with a steal and breakaway dunk to lift the Eagles to a 54-53 lead – as the two teams kept the back-and-forth going. Halfway through the second half, Ferris State had a 57-55 lead.
Perhaps Ashland's top up-and-comer, sophomore wing
Aden Gregory, nailed a 3 and put his team back on top at 60-59. Williams' old-fashioned 3 gave the Eagles a 63-59 advantage.
Tied at 65 going inside of 4½ minutes to play, Ashland received a go-ahead layup from junior point guard
Jaron Crews, then a Bulldog trey made the lead change hands once again.
Trailing 70-69 but with the ball at the 1:45 mark, Davis hit a long jumper for yet another Eagle lead. With 1:18 left in regulation, two Ferris State charity tosses made the lead change hands, then eight seconds later, two more free throws made the score 74-71.
Williams went to the line with 47.2 seconds to go in regulation, and made 1-of-2 to make it a two-point contest. Following a Bulldog turnover on a lane violation, the Eagles had a chance to tie or take the lead late – and Crews tied the game with a deep jumper at the 19.4-second mark.
With 5.8 ticks to go, Ferris State went to the line, and made 1-of-2. Ashland called its last timeout with 2.4 seconds remaining – and a last-second trey missed the mark.
WILLIAMS STAYS HOT…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- Williams finished with 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting from the field, and added nine rebounds and three assists.
- Joining him in double-digit scoring were Gregory (14 points, 6-of-7 shooting), Davis (11 points) and Crews (10 points, five rebounds, five assists).
- Ashland made 55.6 percent from the field and 8-of-17 from 3-point range, and kept FSU to 44.1 percent from the floor.
UP NEXT
The last game before the Thanksgiving break, also at home, on Tuesday (Nov. 26) at 3 p.m. vs. Kent State-Tuscarawas.
