The Ashland Eagles’ men’s basketball team took down the Cedarville Yellow Jackets on Thursday Feb. 6 by a final score of 73 to 59.  

This was a big bounce back game for the Eagles, after a tough defeat in their prior game against the Thomas More Saints.  

Following the 66-61 loss, head coach John Ellenwood said to “expect a much more physical and focused Ashland team coming up on Thursday.” 

His team showed determination right from the jump against Cedarville. 

The Eagles started the game on a 16-6 run, completely dominating the interior. Ashland’s first 16 points came in the paint. Cedarville, on the other hand, stayed in the game thanks to their shot making from the outside. The Yellow Jackets ended up knocking down five triples in the first half, allowing them to take a 32-29 lead at halftime.  

The turnover numbers, along with the lack of long-range shooting, was the main reason Ashland found themselves trailing. The Eagles had seven turnovers and did not have a make from distance after 20 minutes of play. Ashland was dominating the boards at halftime, which was a major improvement for Coach Ellenwood’s club, after they were outrebounded by 18 to Thomas More. 

Ashland came out for the second half on a roll, just like the first half, outscoring Thomas More 31-12 through the first 11 minutes. The three-pointers were raining in for the Eagles, knocking down six triples in the second half of play. This run propelled the Eagles to the 73-59 win. 

To lead the way for the Eagles, it was senior wing Stefan Stanic’s defense that sparked Ashland’s run. He finished with 4 blocks and 2 steals, while also chipping in 8 points on the offensive end. Redshirt junior forward Maceo Williams led Ashland in scoring with 18 points, along with 9 rebounds. Off the bench, redshirt sophomore guard/wing Aden Gregory lit it up from all areas of the floor, scoring 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. 

Cedarville was led by guards Ethan Sellars and Jaylen Davis with 14 points each. Sellars hit four threes, while Davis provided a variety of attacks to the basket and jump shots. The Yellow Jackets fell to an even 10-10 record on the season, with a 5-8 conference record. 

Ashland moves to 12-8 on the season, and 8-5 in G-MAC play. The Eagles now stand in 5th place on the G-MAC leaderboard, with seven games remaining.  

Ashland will next be in action on Saturday Feb. 8th, when they visit the Northwood Timberwolves with tipoff set for 3 p.m.