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Bulldogs’
Pressure Takes a Toll on Eagle Men |
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Most children fear shots. Some adults do too, but for much of this season that hasn’t been a problem for the Ashland University basketball team. Thursday (Jan. 26) at Kates Gymnasium, the Eagles looked like a child squirming away from a needle. Ferris State, the first place team in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference North Division, forced 22 Ashland turnovers and ran up a 41-0 edge in points off of turnovers. AU put up 38 shots compared to 65 for FSU. Those figures told the story of the game as the Bulldogs (12-9/9-1 GLIAC) stopped the Eagles, 87-59. Both of these teams are regionally ranked – FSU is seventh and AU is ninth. The game was close throughout the first half. Ferris State took the lead for good, 38-37, with 56 seconds to play in the first half. That lead swelled to 49-40 just 1:09 into the second half. When the Eagles (15-5/7-3) got a shot off, they did well. AU shot 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field in the first half and for the game, checked in at 47.4 percent (32-of-65). But FSU, in addition to a 20-5 spread in turnovers, collected 12 offensive rebounds and recorded an 18-4 advantage in second chance points. FSU battled foul trouble for much of the night and that depleted the starting lineup, but even there the Eagles failed to make a dent in the Bulldogs’ game. AU made 16-of-29 free throw tries, which computes to 55.2 percent. The ‘Dogs received 18 points each from Dennis Springs and Antwuan Holt. Forward Terrance Shaw dropped in 16 points and Jessie York contributed 11 points off the bench. Senior center Justin Brown had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Ashland. Junior forward Greg Emmons added 12 points and sophomore guard Brett Bartlett had 10 points. The setback snaps a three-game winning streak for AU. Three of AU’s five losses this season have come at Kates Gymnasium. The Eagles return to the court Saturday (Jan. 28, 3 p.m.) against Grand Valley State. |