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Opponent Scouting Report |
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Hillsdale – The Chargers
check in at 9-10, 5-5 in league play and are tied for third
place in the GLIAC South Division with Mercyhurst. HC hasn’t
played since Jan. 26 when it stopped Lake Superior State,
87-70. That put an end to a five-game losing streak.
Hillsdale’s leading scorer is 6-2
senior guard Cory Coe (14.1 ppg.). He’s ninth in the
conference in scoring and first in free throw percentage
(.931). Tim Homan, a 6-4 sophomore forward, averages 13.3
ppg., and is fourth in the loop in three-point field goal
percentage (34-77/.442). Homan is fifth in three-pointers per
game (2.27 per game). He’s questionable for this week’s
game due to injury.
Drew Powell, a 6-1 junior guard,
contributes 13.1 ppg., 4.8 rpg., and shoots 78 percent from
the free throw line. Senior John Hamood, a 5-11 guard, has
been a steadying influence in the backcourt – he’s
second in the GLIAC in assist-turnover ratio (2.46) and fourth
in steals (45/2.37 spg.).
The Chargers are one of the GLIAC’s
best teams when it comes to protecting the basketball. HC is
second in turnover margin (+4.79) and third in assist-turnover
ratio (1.04). The three-point field goal has been kind to the
Chargers – they’re fourth in the conference in
triples per game (144/7.58 per game).
Hillsdale swept two games from the Eagles
last season, including an 84-79 decision at Kates Gymnasium.
In the first meeting this season between the clubs, on Jan. 14
in Hillsdale, the Eagles won, 75-69. Brown had 24 points and
16 rebounds for AU and McRae fired in 16 points. Emmons pulled
down 13 missed shots. AU outrebounded the Chargers, 48-29 and
had the home team playing from behind all afternoon. The
Eagles were in front at halftime, 38-25. Powell and Tony
Gugino had 15 points each to pace the Chargers. |
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Wayne State – WSU begins the
week with an 8-10 mark, 3-7 in conference action. The Warriors
will visit Findlay on Thursday (Feb. 2) before coming to AU.
In their last game, the Warriors took care of Lake Superior
State, 68-50. Head coach David Greer’s team had lost four
consecutive times prior to that game.
WSU features one of the league’s most
productive players in 6-4 senior guard Herb Goliday. He had 16
points and 12 rebounds against Lake Superior State. Goliday is
seventh in the GLIAC in scoring (14.3 ppg.), and eighth in
rebounding (6.3 rpg.) and field goal percentage (.546).
Goliday has scored in double digits in 36 of his last 38
games.
Jeffrey Ferguson, a 6-11 junior, can be
counted on for 6.1 rpg., and is 10th in the conference in
field goal percentage (.540). Kris Krzyminski, a 6-1 junior
guard, is second in the league in free throw percentage
(.830), third in assists (5.56 apg.) and fifth in
assist-turnover ratio (1.79). Krzyminski averages 12.9 ppg.,
and a GLIAC-high 37.94 minutes per game. Ethan Banks, a 6-1
senior guard, is fourth in the conference in three-pointers
made (42-2.33 per game).
Wayne State is the league leader in free
throw percentage (.755), is second in field goal percentage
defense (.408) and third in field goal percentage (.472). The
first time the teams played this year was in Detroit on Jan.
12, and the Warriors won in overtime, 85-83. Krzyminski had 22
points and 12 rebounds and Goliday contributed 17 points and
13 rebounds. Brown and Knight had 21 points each and Brown’s
line included 14 boards and two blocks.
Ashland has won two of the last three
meetings between the teams. Last season in Ashland the Eagles
won, 77-71 |
The Week Ahead
Thursday, Feb. 2 – Hillsdale at ASHLAND, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 4 – Wayne State at ASHLAND, 3 p.m.
All games can be heard live on WNCO 1340 AM and the campus
station WRDL-FM 88.9
About the Eagles
It’s Super Bowl XL week and for the fans of the Pittsburgh
Steelers – the Black and Gold – it’s a big, big
week.
This is also an XL week – an extra large
seven days – for fans of the Purple and Gold, the Ashland
University Eagles. AU is 15-6, 7-4 and in second place in the
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, but enters this
week attempting to snap a two-game losing streak. This is Ashland’s
first two-game skid since the Eagles lost to Saint Joseph’s
and Florida Memorial in mid-November. The basketball season has
also hit the stretch run – AU has six regular season games to
play. After this week, the Eagles play three of their last four
games away from home.
AU Facts and Figures
AU dropped a pair of home contests last week, falling to Ferris
State, 87-59 and to Grand Valley State, 73-60. The Eagles are 3-2
in their last five games. Both opponents shot well against Ashland
last week, FSU shot 49.2 percent (32-of-65) from the floor and
47.6 percent (10-of-21) from three-point range. The Lakers
connected on 50 percent (26-of-52) of their field goal tries.
Turnovers plagued the Eagles in both contests – they had 22
against FSU and 21 against GVSU.
The Eagles are the GLIAC leaders in points per
game (77.4) and are second in rebound margin (+7.7). Ashland has
outrebounded the opposition for 12 consecutive games – the
last time AU didn’t win the battle of the boards was against
Findlay on Dec. 10. In scoring margin, AU is fifth in the league
(+4.4).
Senior center Justin Brown (Columbus,
OH/West Liberty) is second in the GLIAC in scoring (17.6 ppg.)
and field goal percentage (.627). He’s third in rebounding
(10.1 rpg.). Brown, who’s been the GLIAC South Division
player of the week twice this season, is seventh in the country in
rebounds per game and 13th in field goal percentage. Brown had 13
points and 11 rebounds against Ferris State and narrowly missed
another double-double with nine points and 10 boards against Grand
Valley State.
Junior forward Greg Emmons (Ashland, OH)
combines with Brown to give the Eagles one of the top rebounding
duos in the conference. Emmons is fourth in the GLIAC in
rebounding (7.5 rpg.) and 12th in scoring (13.3 ppg.).
Vahn Knight (Benedictine, OH/Euclid), a
6-4 junior guard-forward, is fifth in the league in scoring (14.4
ppg.). He’s 13th in free throw percentage (.772). Knight has
been AU’s leading scorer in three of the last four games. The
junior’s averaged 19.0 ppg., during that run.
Sophomore point guard Brett Bartlett
(LaGrange, OH/Kent State) is fifth in the GLIAC in three-point
field goal percentage (.435) and eighth in free throw percentage
(.806).
Bartlett’s backcourt mate, junior Rob
McRae (Flint, MI/Mott C.C.), is averaging 12.5 ppg., and is
13th in the conference in steals (31/1.48 spg.). McRae is second
on the team in three-point field goals (31). Over the last four
games McRae has shot 57.1 percent (8-for-14) from beyond the
three-point arc.
The Line on Lyons
Lyons is in his 13th season with the Eagles. His career record
is 204-146. The Akron, OH, native is the career leader in
victories at Ashland. A 1974 Ashland graduate, Lyons has guided
the Eagles to 18 or more wins in a season five times. In
1999-2000, he directed the Eagles to a 20-9 finish. His 1987-88
team went 19-10 and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Short Shots
- Ashland has been ranked ninth in the region
each of the last two weeks. The top eight teams in the region at
season’s end advance to the NCAA playoffs.
- The Eagles are 8-1 on the road this season.
- Brown is fifth in career rebounds (595) at
AU. Fourth place belongs to Rob Van Essen (610). Brown has had
over 200 rebounds for two consecutive seasons. The last AU
player to do that was Mike Campbell in 2001-02 and 2002-03. They
are the only two players since the 1985-86 season to do that.
- The Eagles have had only one game this year
decided by three points or less – that was the 85-83 loss
at Wayne State.
- In their last five overtime games, Ashland
is 3-2.
- AU was 4-3 a year ago in February.
Court Chatter Brown
on this week’s games.
“We know what both teams bring to
the table. Wayne State is an athletic team with size. We beat
Hillsdale, they run the Princeton offense, we don’t see that
a lot. You have to prepare for that a little bit differently.”
Brown on playing in the stretch run.
“The key is for us to rebound
from last week. We had two strong teams beat us up. We have to
forget that and focus on this week. We’re in second place in
the South and to stay in second place we need to win this week.”
Knight on his increased scoring.
“I think I’ve been
a little more aggressive. I’m trying to get to the foul line
more, going to the line is one way I think I can help us win. I’ve
been trying to not settle for outside shots. Coach stresses going
inside.”
Up Next
Ashland is idle next week. AU’s next game is Thursday, Feb.
16, at Gannon. |
