Young and Old Combine in Season-Opening Win at Lock Haven
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashland (1-0) | 31 | 49 | 80 |
| Lock Haven (0-1) | 37 | 33 | 70 |
| LOCK HAVEN, Pa. (Thomas Fieldhouse) | |||
| Ashland | Lock Haven |
|---|---|
| Pts: Paul Honigford - 19 | Pts: JOHNSON, Terrell - 17 |
| Reb: 2 Players (#23, #32 - 7) | Reb: MARSHALL, Armandi - 9 |
| Ast: Jordan Berlin - 4 | Ast: 2 Players (#23, #04 - 4) |
| Team Statistics | Ashland | Lock Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goal % | 44.1% (26-59 ) | 46.3% (25-54 ) |
| Rebounds | 29 | 33 |
| Assists | 14 | 11 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 21 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 24 | 12 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 11 | 14 |
| Pts in the Paint | 24 | 24 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 34 | 21 |
ASHLAND, Ohio – The AU men's basketball team has just one senior on its roster, and even that senior is in just his second year as an Eagle.
So this season, the Eagles are relying on youth to piece together their wins as the season moves along. In the season opener on Monday (Nov. 14) against Lock Haven, the Eagles used a combination of that youth and experience to come away with an 80-70 win at Thomas Fieldhouse.
Freshman forward Paul Honigford (Sugarcreek, Ohio/Garaway) scored 19 points and pulled down five rebounds in his collegiate debut. The lone senior on the squad, forward Antoine Childs (Beaver Falls, Pa./Western Carolina), set career highs with 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Eagles (1-0), playing without junior preseason All-GLIAC forward Evan Yates (Cincinnati, Ohio/Walnut Hills) due to injury, trailed the entirety of the first half after shooting 39 percent in the first 20 minutes.
AU was down by as many as seven points early in the first half before tying the game at 28-28 on a layup by freshman guard DaWuan Thomas (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison). The Bald Eagles (0-1) went on a 9-1 run and led 37-31 at halftime.
Lock Haven worked that lead to eight points early in the second half, but Ashland rallied for a huge run that stretched over a majority of the second half. AU went on a 42-16 run over the next 13 minutes and led by 18 points, 75-57, with five minutes left in the game.
AU forced 13 turnovers in the second half, turning them into 16 points. Ashland also out-scored the Lock Haven bench, 20-6, in the second half, led by Thomas and freshman guard Jorian Hudson (Cincinnati, Ohio/University of Cincinnati), who combined for 20 of their 23 points in the second half.
Thomas finished with a line of 13 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. Junior guard Ronnie Steward (Columbus, Ohio/University of Akron) finished with nine points and freshman Cole Krizancic (Mentor, Ohio) knocked down 3-of-6 3-pointers to finish with nine points.
LHU out-shot AU in the game, 46.3 percent to 44.1 percent, and also had a 33-29 advantage on the glass.
Lock Haven, which started four freshmen, was led by Terrell Johnson, who had 17 points. Lucas Mosca had 12 points and eight rebounds and Jace Keller finished with 15 points.
The Eagles will travel to Columbus on Friday (Nov. 18) night for the Ohio Dominican Classic. AU will play Central State on Friday at 6 p.m. and then play Lourdes at 1 p.m. Saturday (Nov. 19). Ashland's home opener will be Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. against Point Park.
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