Eagle men take down Wayne State on the road, 81-70

The Eagles improve to 7-4 on the season

The+Eagles+finish+off+2022+on+a+five+game+win+streak+as+they+prepare+for+their+second-to-last+nonconference+game+against+Miami-Hamilton.

AU Athletics

The Eagles finish off 2022 on a five game win streak as they prepare for their second-to-last nonconference game against Miami-Hamilton.

Cade Cracas, Sports & Digital Editor

The Eagle men’s basketball team traveled to Detroit, Mich. to take on the Wayne State Warriors after having an 11-day break during the holidays.

When taking on the Warriors on Dec. 30, in Michigan, the Eagles did not lose a beat from the extended rest, dominating the Warriors in an 11-point win.

To start the first half of play, the Eagles started off struggling as they went into halftime down by seven points, 41-34. While they were down by seven, the bright spots shined through the negatives as the freshman-to-senior guard duo of Simon Wheeler and Brandon Haraway dominated recording half of the team’s 34 first-half points.

Alongside Haraway and Wheeler, breakout redshirt sophomore Maceo Williams also contributed heavily on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

At halftime, the Eagles were able to regroup and come out swinging in the second half.

The Eagles would outscore the Warriors, 47-29, to finish out the 81-70 win. They showcased intense offensive power as the team continued their consistent shooting with 58% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.

Contributing to those shooting numbers was Haraway who finished the contest with 24 points on 8-of-13 from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range. Williams also finished the contest shooting 5-of-6 from the field and 1-of-1 from beyond the arc to go alongside 15 points.

The only other double-digit scorer for the Eagles was graduate transfer James Manns who hauled in 10 rebounds along with 11 points.

In the win, the Eagles kept the Warriors to 38.5% from the field in the second half of play and 26.7% from three-point range. With the loss, the Warriors fall to 4-6 on the season while the Eagles improve to 7-4 and extend their win streak to five games.

Now with an abundance of confidence under their belt, the Eagles now look to take on Miami-Hamilton on Jan. 2 at home in Kates Gymnasium with tipoff set for 6 P.M.