Eagles Get Defensive, Derail Gannon Men, 60-49
January 5, 2006

Complete Box Score

When youngsters take the wheel of the car for the first time, they’re told by any driver training teacher worth his salt to “Drive Defensively.”

The Ashland University Eagles (11-3/3-1 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) did that Thursday (Jan. 5, 2006) at Kates Gymnasium, using one of their best defensive efforts of the season to shut down Gannon, 60-49. The win was AU’s fifth straight and its ninth triumph in the last 10 games.

Senior center Justin Brown scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Eagles. The double-double was his seventh of the season.

AU’s leading scorer was junior forward Greg Emmons. Emmons had 15 points, 10 in the first half. Junior guard Rob McRae popped in 12 points and sophomore guard Brett Bartlett canned 10 points.

Ashland scored the game’s first six points and had a 26-24 lead at the intermission. Gannon (7-6/1-2) never led in the second half. The teams were deadlocked, 36-36 with 9:59 to play in regulation. The Eagles went on an 8-0 run to take a 44-36 lead with 7:53 to play. The Golden Knights never got closer than four points the rest of the game.

The Golden Knights came to town with one of the top inside tandems in the country in Aurimas Truskauskas and Shelby Chaney. AU held those two in check – Truskauskas had eight points and nine boards and Chaney finished with 12 points and five rebounds. The Eagles outrebounded the visitors, 35-26 and led in second chance points, 9-2.

Ashland shot 42.3 percent from the floor (22-of-52), while Gannon finished at 36.7 percent (18-of-49).

Guard Darmel Whitfield’s 14 points paced Gannon.

The win was the 200th of Ashland head coach Roger Lyons’ career.