Eagles Rally for 77-69 Men's Basketball Win Over Lakers
February 18, 2006

Complete Box Score

Sometimes in life and in basketball, you can be, as the phrase goes, “Behind the Eight Ball.”

The Ashland University Eagles were behind, but not behind with the three ball Saturday (Feb. 18) at Mercyhurst and that helped them record a come-from-behind, 77-69 triumph at Mercyhurst.

The win gives AU a 17-8 record, 9-6 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. MC is 19-7 and 9-7. The two teams are locked in a struggle for second place in the GLIAC South Division. The team that finishes in second place stays at home for the first round of the conference tournament. AU now owns the tiebreaker against Mercyhurst and another team trying to stay in contention – Hillsdale. The Eagles have swept both the Lakers and Chargers this season.

Saturday, AU trailed, 38-28 at halftime. With 14:35 to play in regulation, the Lakers owned a 48-39 lead. Ashland responded with a 13-1 salvo over the next 4:59 to take a 52-49 advantage with 9:36 to play in the game.

Senior guard Javan Roberson had a pair of three-point field goals during that run and AU hit 7-of-9 free throws to fuel that surge. A Terry Smith layup sliced the AU lead to 52-51 with 8:26 to go, but the Eagles went on another sprint, outscoring the ‘Hurst, 11-4 over the next 2:44. With 5:42 to play, the Eagles led, 63-55. Mercyhurst go no closer than four points the rest of the game.

AU outrebounded the Lakers, 36-29 and hit 26-of-38 free throw attempts (64.3 percent). The Eagles knocked down seven triples, five in the second half. Roberson scored all nine of his points in the second half. Guard Rob McRae hit for 16 points, 11 in the final 20 minutes. Sharing team high scoring honors with McRae was junior center Matt Engler. That’s his career high.

AU shot 54.2 percent (13-of-24) in the second half after struggling to hit 34.6 percent (9-of-26) of its first-half field goal tries. Ashland outrebounded the Lakers, 19-10 in the second half.

The other AU player to reach double digits was sophomore guard Brett Bartlett, who accounted for 14 markers.

Mercyhurst guard Avi Fogel, who has been one of the most productive players in the GLIAC over the last three weeks, had 27 points to lead all players in the game. Smith added 16 points.

The Eagles have two regular season games to play – Monday (Feb. 20) at home against streaking Northern Michigan (the ‘Cats have won nine of their last 10 games) and Saturday (Feb. 25) at GLIAC South Division leader Findlay. AU has clinched its first trip to the GLIAC tournament since the 2002-03 campaign, the only question that remains is where that first-round game will be held. The Eagles have never hosted a GLIAC postseason game.