The Ashland University men's basketball team cruised to a 94-61 win over visiting Carlow on Sunday (Nov. 26) at Kates Gymnasium in the Eagles' final tune-up prior to the start of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
The Eagles (5-1) held the Celtics (0-4) to 36.6 percent (26-for-71) shooting from the floor and connected at a 53.3 percent (40-for-75) clip themselves.
Ashland never trailed in the contest after jumping out to a quick 12-0 lead in just over three minutes as the defense forced Carlow into five straight misses to start the game. The margin never slipped under double digits after that.
"We won the way we should," said AU head coach John Ellenwood. "There are some things we need to correct and this game pointed out some of those. We'll have that stuff straightened out. We have to be really focused. This might be the toughest road trip I've ever had here coming up. It's going to be a slugfest, GLIAC basketball with two very tough road games."
The Eagles will travel to Lake Superior State on Thursday (Nov. 30) to take on the Lakers, who were receiving votes in last week's NABC national coaches' poll. Following that is a trip to No. 5 Ferris State, which has not lost in its first eight games.
Five players scored in double figures for the Eagles on Sunday, led by senior forward Wendell Davis, who scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in the second half. Davis shot 8-for-16 from the field and hit three 3-pointers.
"We moved the ball well against the zone, going in and out," said Ellenwood. "We got some good looks. It was good for us to see a team that's going to zone a lot just so we know how to move the ball. That stuff was great for us today."
Redshirt-freshman guard Joey Zahn was AU's top marksman, sinking 4-of-5 3-pointers on his way to a career-best 18 points. Senior center Drew Noble notched a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while junior guard Ben Haraway tacked on 15 points and six rebounds.
The Eagles held a 47-38 advantage on the glass and won the battle in the paint, 58-34. AU also forced 16 turnovers and turned them into 21 points.
Charlie Scharbo led the Celtics with 12 points and nine rebounds while Miles Sunder added 11 points.
Ashland and Lake Superior State will tip off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
AU
MBB/BB