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Opponent Scouting Report |
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Gannon – The Golden Knights
are 10-14, 4-10 in conference play. GU has lost its last three
games and six of its last seven contests. What makes the
Golden Knights dangerous is the inside duo of 6-8, 230-pound
junior Aurimas Truskauskas and 6-9, 240-pound junior Shelby
Chaney. Truskauskas is the GLIAC leader in rebounding (11.4
rpg.) and is seventh in scoring (14.8 ppg.) and eighth in
field goal percentage (.547). Chaney is third in board work
(9.8 rpg.) and can be counted on for 12.4 ppg.
Guard Demondi Johnson, a 5-11 senior, shot
69 percent (9-of-13) from the field last week and averaged
11.5 ppg. He’s fifth in the conference in assist-turnover
ratio (1.65) and sixth in assists (4.13 apg.). Another senior
guard, Darmel Whitfield, is fourth in the conference in
three-point field goals made (56/2.33 per game).
The Golden Knights look to control the game’s
tempo and play suffocating defense. That scheme can cause
problems for visitors to Erie, PA – GU is fifth in the
GLIAC in scoring defense (64.7 ppg.). Gannon’s coach is
John T. Reilly, who’s in his first season as the GU bench
boss.
AU and Gannon met earlier this year in
Ashland and the Eagles emerged with a 60-49 victory. That’s
the fewest points the Eagles have permitted this season.
Emmons led the Eagles with 15 points and Brown posted 13
points and 10 rebounds. Whitfield’s 14 points paced the
Golden Knights. The win was the 200th of Lyons’ career.
A year ago, AU won at Gannon, 73-62.
Ashland is 2-2 in its last four trips to GU. The Golden
Knights lead the all-time series, 22-11. |
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Mercyhurst – No GLIAC team is
hotter than the ‘Hurst (19-5/9-5), which begins this week
with a five-game winning streak and victories in eight of its
last night games. The Lakers have slipped past AU into second
place in the South Division. MC is third in the conference in
scoring defense (57.3 ppg.), scoring margin (+6.2), steals
(10.25 spg.) and turnover margin (+3.96). The Lakers’
victory total is the highest since the 1992-93 team won 20
games.
Head coach Gary Manchel’s squad has
received inspired play recently from 6-2 junior guard Avi
Fogel. He’s third in the GLIAC in scoring (17.1 ppg.),
fifth in assists (4.29 apg.), sixth in free throw percentage
(.809) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (.404).
Terry Smith, a 6-1 sophomore guard, is averaging 13.2 ppg.
Andy Kubinski, a 6-4 senior guard-forward,
is second in the GLIAC in steals (70/2.92 spg.). Jeff Daisley,
a 7-2 senior center, has rejected 47 shots (2.04 bpg.) and
that puts him third in the conference in that department.
The Eagles and Lakers played in Ashland on
Jan. 7, and AU came away with a 79-68 triumph. All five AU
starters reached double digits in scoring. The leader was
junior guard Rob McRae with 24 points. Fogel had 26
points to lead all players in the game.
The Eagles have won two of their last three
games at Mercyhurst. Last season, the Eagles left campus with
a 77-73 win. AU has won three straight games against the ‘Hurst. |
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Northern Michigan – The Eagles
won’t have much turnaround time from their Pennsylvania
trip when they host the Wildcats. NMU (15-9/11-4) sits in
third place in the GLIAC North Division and has clinched a
tournament berth. On the Saturday before they play in Ashland,
the ‘Cats will visit Northwood. Northern Michigan begins
the week with a three-game winning streak and has won eight of
its last nine encounters.
NMU, coached by Dean Ellis, is paced by
6-8, 230-pound junior forward Ricky Volcy, this week’s
GLIAC North Division player of the week. Volcy is the GLIAC
leader in scoring (19.0 ppg.) and is fourth in rebounding (7.5
rpg.). This past week he averaged 26.5 ppg., 9.5 rpg., 6.5
apg., and 2.5 blocks per game. He shot 70 percent from the
field.
Ricky Volcy’s brother, Marco Volcy, is
sixth in the conference in rebounding (7.1 rpg.), blocks
(33/1.38 bpg.) and assist-turnover ratio (1.55). The 6-7,
205-pound Marco Volcy is seventh in the loop in field goal
percentage (.565). Will Washington, a 6-0 junior guard, is the
conference leader in three-point field goals made (72/3.0 per
game).
The last time the Eagles and Wildcats
tangled was a year ago at Kates Gymnasium. NMU won that game,
67-55. Knight led the Eagles with 16 points. NMU rolled up a
38-18 advantage in points off of turnovers. Ashland has won
three of the last four games against Northern Michigan. The
all-time series is knotted, 5-5. |
The Week Ahead
Thursday, Feb. 16 – ASHLAND at Gannon, 8 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18 – ASHLAND at Mercyhurst, 3 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 20 – Northern Michigan at ASHLAND, 7:30
p.m.
All games can be heard live on WNCO 1340 AM.
The games are also Webcast
About the Eagles
This is a big week for Weight Watchers. Both divisions.
Confused? Don’t be. The first segment of
Weight Watchers gets a bit antsy this week because of all the
chocolate consumed on Valentine’s Day. The second group
becomes a bit uptight because it’s the stretch drive of the
Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and a lot of
weight can lifted off of the shoulders of players and coaches with
a couple of good games.
Playoff pressure can be like an anvil. It’s
heavy and bulky and no one wants to take it off your hands. It’s
the time of the year where, if possible, you want to do everything
for yourself.
The Eagles begin this week with a 16-7 record,
8-5 in GLIAC play. AU is in third place in the GLIAC South
Division and still has the opportunity to move into second place.
The top two teams in the division host first-round GLIAC
tournament games. AU’s magic number to clinch a tournament
berth is one. One more Ashland victory or one more loss by Wayne
State will send the Eagles to the league tournament for the first
time since the 2002-03 season.
Ashland has four regular season games remaining
– three on the road and one at home. So far this season the
Eagles are 8-1 on the road.
AU Facts and Figures
Thanks to a break in the schedule, the Eagles have had an
opportunity to rest their legs. Ashland hasn’t played since
Feb. 4. The Eagles are 1-3 in their last four games. The victory
came on Feb. 2 at Kates Gymnasium against Hillsdale, 90-78. Two of
the losses came at home against regionally ranked teams –
Ferris State and Grand Valley State. In AU’s last outing, the
Eagles dropped a 59-56 decision at home to Wayne State.
The Eagles are the GLIAC leaders in scoring,
churning out 77.0 ppg. AU is second in the league in rebound
margin (+6.7) and fourth in scoring margin (+4.4).
Senior center Justin Brown (Columbus,
OH/West Liberty) leads the conference in field goal percentage
(.633) and is second in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and rebounding (10.0
rpg.). Brown has 11 double-doubles this season.
Brown’s partner in crime inside –
junior forward Greg Emmons (Ashland, OH) – continues
to provide strong numbers. He’s scoring 13.1 ppg., and is
fifth in the conference in rebounding (7.4 rpg.).
Junior guard-forward Vahn Knight (Euclid,
OH/Benedictine) is 14th in the GLIAC in scoring (14.4 ppg.)
and 13th in free throw percentage (.767). He’s 13th in free
throw percentage (.767).
Sophomore guard Brett Bartlett (LaGrange,
OH/Kent State) is fourth in the GLIAC in three-point field
goal percentage (.437/45-103) and free throw percentage
(.813/61-75).
The Line on Lyons
Lyons is in his 13th season with the Eagles. His career record
is 205-147. 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
- Since joining the GLIAC, AU has swept the
Erie, PA, trip once – that came last year.
- Brown has moved into fourth place (611) in
career rebounds at AU. LeBron Gladden sits in third place with
624 boards.
- In this week’s NCAA statistics, Brown
is sixth in rebounding and field goal percentage. The Eagles are
17th in rebound margin.
- The two seniors on this year’s team –
Brown and guard Javan Roberson (Akron, OH/Garfield) will
be recognized prior to Monday’s game with NMU.
- In its last five overtime games, Ashland is
3-2.
- AU was 4-3 a year ago in February.
Court Chatter
Lyons on the perils of the Erie, PA, trip.
“Both teams are usually
very, very good. It’s so hard to win at Gannon. There’s
normally a big crowd and they’re usually good. Mercyhurst is
different, it’s a much smaller venue. Two very tough places
to play.” Lyons on
not playing for 12 days.
“It can go one of two
ways. I like the fact that we’ve had the opportunity to
practice. But you’re never as sharp as when you play games.” Lyons
on the GLIAC stretch drive.
“I hope our experience
pays dividends. But, it’s the same thing we’ve said all
year – every night is different, every possession is
different. You have to play well every possession. When you lose
possessions you lose games. We’ve preached that all year
long. Our goal was to get into the conference tournament. No
matter how we get it, everything else is a bonus.”
Up Next
Ashland wraps up the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 25 at
Findlay (3 p.m.). |
