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AU Men’s
Basketball Remains Unbeaten in Road Competition |
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By Paul Carmany, AU Sports Information For whatever reason, the Ashland University men’s basketball team is at its best when wearing purple jerseys and sitting on the visitor bench. On Monday evening (Dec. 19), torrid shooting was the biggest reason that the Eagles improved to 5-0 in road action with an 81-70 decision at Slippery Rock. AU shot 56.9 percent (29-51) from the floor and put four players in double figures. Ashland, which has now won nine of its last 10 road contests dating back to last year, improves to 7-3. The Rock dropped their sixth straight game and fell to 1-7 overall. Coach Roger Lyons’ bunch connected on six of its first eight shots of the game. A layup by Rob McRae gave the Eagles a 15-5 advantage just 3:48 after the opening tip. McRae tallied seven points during the game-opening run from which The Rock never recovered. The host team could get no closer than seven points the remainder of the evening. Ashland shot 61.3 percent (19-31) from the field in the first 20 minutes and owned a 46-33 halftime lead. Greg Emmons tossed in 11 of his team-high 18 points in the opening half. Rebounding was another key for AU. The Eagles outrebounded The Rock, 39-30, paced by Justin Brown’s nine caroms. Emmons pulled down six rebounds of his own. McRae ended up with 16 points and a pair of steals. Vahn Knight totaled 15 points, seven boards and five assists. Brown complemented his board work with 14 points. Freshman guard Erroll Robinson was Slippery Rock’s most potent offensive option. He connected on five of his six attempts from beyond the three-point arc on his way to a 25-point evening. The Eagles will return to Kates Gymnasium on Thursday (Dec. 22) to host the Hiram College Terriers at 7:30 p.m. Hiram, a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), is 2-5. |