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THE TURNING POINT: Ashland scored the game's first 10 points and didn't look back.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Eagles have won their last 28 non-conference regular-season games at Kates Gymnasium.
Playing for the first time in 11 days, and playing at home for the first time in 20 days, Ashland University's men's basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 94-56 win over Thiel on Friday (Dec. 30) night at Kates Gymnasium.
The Eagles end the 2016 portion of the 2016-17 season at 7-5 overall, while Thiel is 6-3.
"We needed that. Our guys played well," said Ashland head coach John Ellenwood. "They played unselfish. Everybody shared the basketball, and that's big for us."
Ashland scored the game's first 10 points and didn't look back. Senior guard Boo Osborne recorded a double-double (15 points, career-high-tying 11 rebounds), and led four Eagles – Osborne, senior guard Adrian Cook 12, sophomore guard Ben Haraway 11 and freshman center Drew Noble career-high 10) – in scoring.
"Boo's a great leader for us. He's the heart and soul of our team this year," Ellenwood said. "I'm proud of him. He's a guy that I'd go to war with any day. He wants a great senior year, and I think our guys are starting to believe in giving him that.
"Drew, I thought, had a great game, especially in that second half. He's going to continue to get better. For the minutes that he played (11), he was very productive."
Osborne accomplished his double-double in the first minute of the second half.
Ellenwood has preached passing this season, and his Eagles responded with 22 assists against the Tomcats. It was Ashland's second-best total of the season, and its third game with 20 or more in 2016-17.
Ashland shot 52.2 percent from the field and 81.8 percent from the free-throw line, outrebounded Thiel 45-37 and scored 23 points off 17 Tomcat turnovers.
The Eagles kept the Tomcats to 32.3-percent shooting from the field and 0-for-7 from 3-point range.
"Defensively, in the first half, I thought we were very good in imposing our will," Ellenwood said, "and that's something that we need to continue to do."
UP NEXT: The return to Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Thursday (Jan. 5) at 7:30 p.m. at home against Michigan Tech (5-6, 3-2). The game will be Church Night at Kates Gymnasium.
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