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It’s No
Match Game for AU Against Warriors |
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Stripes and polka dots aren’t a good mix and brown shoes with black pants just doesn’t cut it. As the Ashland University Eagles have discovered, they aren’t a good match with Wayne State either. For the Eagles, nothing seems to go together when they play the Warriors. Saturday (Feb. 4) at Kates Gymnasium, the Warriors downed the Eagles for the second time this season, holding on for a 59-56 triumph. Earlier this season in Detroit, WSU nipped the Eagles in overtime, 85-83. The loss leaves the Eagles at 16-7, 8-5 and in second place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division. Wayne State is 9-11 and 4-8. Point guard Kris Krzyminski had 19 points and hit a jumper to put the Warriors ahead to stay. The WSU point guard, who played all 40 minutes in the game, buried a shot with 4:58 left in regulation to break a 51-51 tie and give the Warriors a 53-51 lead. The Warriors never trailed after that. WSU had a 59-54 advantage with 1:22 to go, but two free throws by Ashland’s Justin Brown cut the margin to 59-56 with 1:05 to play. Ashland got off the game’s final shot, a three-point attempt by Vahn Knight with 2.5 seconds left. That was the second three-point attempt to go awry for the Eagles in the last 10 seconds. With nine seconds remaining in regulation, guard Rob McRae misfired on a triple from in front. Wayne State was ahead, 33-26 at halftime and never trailed in the second half. The visitors had an 11-point lead with 13:36 to play. Wayne State outrebounded the Eagles, 35-26 – that’s the first time AU has lost the battle of the boards since Dec. 10 against Findlay. That helped the Warriors lead in points in the paint, 36-18. Ashland had 14 turnovers and that aided the WSU cause as the visitors enjoyed a 19-7 advantage in points off of turnovers. Brown’s 15 points led Ashland. Guard Brett Bartlett produced 13 points. |