The Ashland University men’s basketball team lost 80-55 at Hillsdale on Saturday in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference battle.

Senior guard Adrian Cook scored 19 points to lead the way for the Eagles, while junior center Teddy Metzen (9 points, 5 rebounds), junior forward Marsalis Hamilton (6 points, 9 rebounds) and senior guard Boo Osborne (5 points, 4 rebounds) also contributed.

AU (14-8, 9-7 GLIAC) and the Chargers were tied 8-8 five minutes into the game, but Hillsdale built a 20-10 lead after Harrison Niego hit a pair of triples.

A senior forward Torin Wetzel triple midway through the first half stopped a 2 ½-minute scoring drought for the Eagles.

Ashland then cut its deficit to 20-16, but the Chargers (11-11, 7-9 GLIAC) responded with a 12-0 run to take a 32-16 lead that forced AU to call a timeout.

Hillsdale boosted its lead to 20 points twice near halftime, and they went into the intermission leading 49-30.

The Chargers made 10-of-15 shots from behind the arc in the first half.

At the first media timeout of the second half, Hillsdale held a 56-35 advantage.

The Chargers led 66-41 at the next media timeout with 12 minutes left in the game.

Hillsdale made seven of its first 11 shots from the floor to open the half.

AU did not get any closer than 25 points the rest of the game.

This was Ashland’s worst loss by margin since an 85-48 loss at Findlay on Jan. 23, 2014.

Next up for the Eagles is a home game vs. Lake Erie (4-20, 3-13 GLIAC) at Kates Gymnasium on Feb. 9. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.