The Ashland University men’s basketball team has managed to go 4-3 since leaving for winter break and is currently on a three-game winning streak. The Eagles are now 8-6, 2-5 GLIAC and haven’t won three games in a row since opening the season with 3-0.

AU started winter break with consecutive losses to Northwood and Hillsdale before defeating Millersville 76-69. AU finished break with a loss to Findlay and a convincing win over Urbana Jan. 8. Most recently, AU defeated Tiffin Jan. 13, 69-65 and Lourdes Jan. 15, 74-68.

Tiffin

Fellow GLIAC South foe Tiffin came to Kates Gymnasium last Thursday and fell to 10-5, 5-4 GLIAC. The Dragons stayed within ten points in the first half but gave up 22 points in the paint. Ashland shot 48.4 percent from the field but just 2-for-13 from three point. AU took a 34-26 lead into halftime.

Sophomore center Evan Yates scored 20 of his career-high 26 points in the second half. As a team, the Eagles scored 34 points in the paint. Yates also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, five of which came on the offensive glass. Sophomore David Harris, who has been seeing more floor time as of late, finished with ten points and two steals. Fellow guard Jordan Berlin also finished with ten points along with five assists.

The Dragons came back in the second half taking the lead after only five minutes of play. They extended that lead to as many as nine, 53-44 thanks to a balanced attack of three players scoring in double digits accompanied by three more finishing with eight points each.

The comeback proved to have taken too much out of the Dragons as AU hit a couple late threes securing the four point victory.

As a team the Eagles shot 41.4 percent from the field, 23.8 percent from three and a very respectable 72.7 percent from the free-throw line.

Lourdes

For the second time this year, the Ashland Eagles and Lourdes Gray Wolves men’s basketball teams squared off. The first contest ended with a 80-70 win for the Purple and Gold. Both teams were held to fewer points in the second matchup but once again, AU earned the 74-68 victory due largely to solid second half play.

Senior forward Kale Richardson was called for two early fouls, knocking him to the bench for most of the first half. Yates stepped up and scored 11 of his game-high 23 points early to keep the Eagles within striking distance.

“Kale got those two calls on him, which took him out of the game,” head coach John Ellenwood said in a post game interview. “Our offense can’t work unless we have an inside-outside game.”

The fast break game suffered as a result as AU failed to get a fast break bucket compared to Lourdes’ eight fast break points.

Ashland opened up the second half with an 11-0 run, seven of which came from Yates and Richardson. That inside presence opened up the floor for the Ashland guards to push the tempo and accumulate 14 fast break points.

Richardson finished with 15 points, 13 of which came in the second half.

Yates has been dominating for AU as he grabbed 11 rebounds to accompany his 23 points for his second double-double of the season.

“Looking at the span of Evan’s career, last year at this time he was hitting that freshman wall,” Ellenwood said. “Over the summer, he and Harris live right next to each other pretty much. David has a great work ethic and he took Evan every day and they worked out and played every day. Evan came back in shape, and because he worked on it, he can finish the year strong.”

Turnovers hurt the Eagles to a tune of 23 points but AU outscored Lourdes 48-32 in the paint. John Washington led the Gray Wolves, with 20 points, five assists and four rebounds. John Willhite earned a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Up next for Ashland is a trip to play a couple GLIAC North teams. First is at Saginaw Valley State today, followed by a drive to Lake Superior State Saturday. Saginaw Valley is one game out of last place in their division and is 6-8 overall. Lake Superior State is in the middle of the GLIAC North with a .500 record of 4-4 and 10-5 overall. Both teams are on two-game winning streaks.