The Ashland University Men’s basketball team lost to Findlay over the weekend. The team also moved a game in front of the Oilers in the GLIAC South race over the weekend. 

The Eagles dropped an 89-78 decision at Findlay allowing the Oilers to pull even with AU in the GLIAC south standings. 

Two days later, Ashland regained their South Division lead thanks to an Eagle 68-67 victory over Wayne State and a Lake Erie win over Findlay.

AU leads the southern division with an 11-8 mark in conference play and a 17-8 record overall with three games remaining on the Eagles’ schedule. 

“Anytime you are able to split on the road in this conference, it is a good weekend,” said Coach John Ellenwood. “Especially when you are playing Wayne State and Findlay, both programs have won championships in the last three years and know how to win in this conference.” 

AU traveled to Findlay on Feb. 12, looking for a repeat of the 80-47 trouncing they laid on the Oilers in Ashland back in January. 

Findlay was in control throughout the first half. The Oilers opened up a 13 point lead early in the first half before the Eagles whittled it down to just five at the halftime break. 

Sophomore forward Wendell Davis led the comeback effort in the second half, converting the old-fashioned three-point play at the 12:22 mark to level the score at 56.  

Davis gave AU their first lead of the second half when he knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Eagles a 58-56 lead with 11:51 remaining. 

The Eagle lead stretched as wide as five at the ten minute mark, before the Oilers fought back to tie the game 65 with 7:45 left in the contest. 

The Oilers never trailed after that point, running away from AU thanks to 17-second half points from Jake Heagen to an 89-78 victory.

Heagen led all scorers with 26 points for Findlay. Davis poured in 25 points for Ashland. 

The victory was Findlay’s 15th consecutive home win over Ashland. 

On Valentine’s Day, AU looked to pick up a sweet win at Wayne State.

The Eagles, looking to win for the first time at Wayne State ever, held a 28-23 halftime edge in Detroit. 

AU led by as much as 13 with only 6:59 left in the game, but the pesky Warriors refused to go away.  AU held a slim 63-60 lead in the final minute before holding on to their 17th win thanks to good foul shooting down the stretch.

Davis paced the Eagles with 15 points and eight boards in the win. Sophomore guard Boo Osborne added 11 points, while going three for three from behind the arc.

 “Boo was in great shape over the summer, but right as school started he got mono,” said Ellenwood. “Then one day in practice last month he was drilling his shot and came up to me after practice and said, ‘Coach I got it back.’ Ever since that day he has been shooting the ball great.” 

“We tell our guys to get what we’ve never had, we have to do something we’ve never done,” said Ellenwood. “That was our motto for this weekend, and a win like this is great for our guys.”  

The win over Wayne State clinched AU’s spot in the GLIAC tournament, and helped AU regain the South Division lead. 

AU hosts Ohio Dominican and Tiffin before heading off to Lake Erie for the final game of the regular season. 

For Ellenwood, the message is simple, finish strong.

“Our first goal is to go 1-0 on Thursday,” said Ellenwood. “Obviously you would like to win all three, it would do a lot for our program, getting to twenty wins, and winning the south.” 

The team’s biggest goal is just three wins away, a GLIAC South title for the first time in school history. 

“A division title would be huge for our guys,” said Ellenwood. “For the program it would help a lot in recruiting and player confidence. It would be a springboard going forward.”