Ashland University's men's basketball team hasn't had an All-American since
Evan Yates in 2012.
Junior forward
Maceo Williams is quite poised to break that drought – and made quite a statement toward that end in the Eagles' 83-71 win on Saturday (Jan. 11) afternoon at Thomas More.
Ashland improves to 9-6 overall and 5-3 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (moving into a tie for fourth place in the league) following its fourth win in the last five outings.
The Saints are 10-5, 5-3.
Williams, who entered Saturday averaging 22.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in 2024-25, finished the afternoon with 31 points and a career-high-tying 14 rebounds (for a second straight game), while making 11-of-13 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free-throw line.
After four very early lead changes, the Eagles began to pull away, and when the whistle sounded for the game's first media timeout, they led 16-10. Thomas More, however, came back and knotted the game at 20-20 before junior point guard
Jaron Crews ended the Saints' momentum with a layup.
Crews had 13 points in the game's first 15½ minutes, helping AU to a 34-27 lead. The Eagle cushion was only 44-40 at halftime, Williams had 17 points and Crews 13, and AU was shooting 67.9 percent from the floor.
Two Crews free throws and a Williams layup extended the Eagle advantage to 48-40, forcing the Saints to regroup. Ashland eventually scored the first seven points of the second half in going up, 51-40.
The Eagles continued to keep the Saints at arm's length for a while – but a 56-42 lead became a 62-57 separation before Ashland stopped the game. Sophomore wing
Cooper Davis' 3-point field goal stopped Thomas More's momentum, then a dunk by senior guard
Gbolahan Adio lifted AU to a double-digit lead again at 67-57.
DAVIS, CREWS STRONG IN VICTORY…AND THE REST OF THE STORY
- Davis finished with 20 points (four threes and 6-for-6 from the foul line), and Crews ended with 15 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals.
- Williams passed three players into 23rd place on AU's all-time scoring list with 1,130 career points.
- Ashland made 59.2 percent from the field (second-best of the season), 7-of-15 from beyond the arc and 90.0 percent from the charity stripe (best of the season).
UP NEXT
Another key Great Midwest road game on Thursday (Jan. 16) at 7:30 p.m. at No. 13 Findlay (14-1, 7-0).
