The Ashland University men’s basketball emerged victorious for the fifth straight contest on Feb. 7, when they defeated the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers.
The final score of the game was 73-67 in favor of the Eagles.
Coming into the matchup, both teams were on a win streak of four games in a row. In the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), Ashland held second place with the Panthers not far behind in fifth.
To start the game, Ashland once again got off to a hot start, grabbing a 10-3 lead a little over three minutes in. For the next twelve minutes, the teams would go back and forth trading baskets, until Ashland found a 27-20 lead with fiev minutes remaining before halftime.
This is where Kentucky Wesleyan took control of the game. To finish five minutes left in the half, the Panthers went on a 13-4 scoring run. In those five minutes, Ashland only scored four points, and two of them came off of a Jordan Edwards layup with five seconds before the break.
After halftime, Kentucky Wesleyan continued with their newfound momentum, growing their lead to seven points just four minutes into the half. However, this game continued to be a game of runs as it only took three minutes for the Eagles to score 11 points and retake a four point advantage.
Down the stretch, the Eagles stayed consistent in scoring. Despite the Panthers keeping it close, and even tying the game with 2:32 remaining, Ashland had an advantage that propelled them to victory; the free throw line.
As a team, the Eagles shot 23-30 from the line all game, and sophomore forward Jason Moore impressed making all 12 free throws he attempted. Moore finished the game with a team high 22 points, along with nine rebounds.
Other Eagles to get involved were redshirt-senior forward Maceo Williams, who finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds. Ashland also got help from redshirt-freshman guard Max Dawson, who off the bench was their third highest scorer putting up 14 points.
The Eagles look to continue chasing the G-MAC first seeded Walsh Cavaliers, who are only one game ahead of the Eagles in the conference standings. Ashland will next be in action on Thursday, Feb. 12, when they travel to Cedarville for a 7:45 p.m. tipoff.
