INDIANAPOLIS — The Ashland University men’s basketball season came to a sudden end Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis.
The Eagles dropped a tough, 71-70 decision to Ferris State at the Division II NCAA Midwest Regional Tournament quarterfinals. Coach John Ellenwood’s squad finished the campaign with a 22-10 record.
Third-seeded Ashland got off to a solid start, edging in front 11-9 on a James Manns layup with 15:21 showing in the first half.
But the sixth-seeded Bulldogs (24-7) unleashed a 19-2 burst over the next six minutes that effectively decided the game. FSU enjoyed a 28-13 bulge on Jimmy Scholar’s trey with 9:35 remaining in the half. From that point on the Eagles would face an uphill climb they could not overcome — although it wasn’t for lack of effort.
AU got back within 40-29 at the intermission, then authored a frantic run of its own — although it was too little, too late.
Coach John Ellenwood’s squad faced a 60-46 deficit with 9:46 remaining before slowly chipping away at the gap.
Finally, senior Brandon Haraway scored in the paint with just 14 seconds left to make it 68-67. Yet Ferris State made 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch and the Eagles committed a costly offensive foul to seal the deal. An AU trey at the buzzer accounted for the final score.
Freshman guard Simon Wheeler topped the Eagles with 19 points, while Manns added 15. Haraway, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference player of the year, was limited to nine points.
Ashland’s defense had no answer for Solomon Oraegbu. Ferris State’s 6-foot-2 sophomore guard bounced off the bench and erupted for 30 points and five assists in just 27 minutes of action. Dolapo Olayinka chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds, while Reece Hazelton had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
FSU forged a 43-33 rebounding advantage. The Eagles made just 12 of 24 free throws, while Ferris State drained 17 of its 22 foul shots.
NOTEBOOK
— Ashland’s 22 wins in 2022-23 are the most for the program since 2018-19.
— The Eagles’ 32 games played this season are the most in one campaign in the 103 seasons of Ashland men’s basketball.
— Ellenwood guided his club to a 15-5 conference mark and second place to Walsh in the GMAC regular-season standings. The Eagles won three games in last week’s conference tournament, disposing of Lake Erie (81-69), 23rd-ranked Hillsdale (76-69), and then Malone 82-78 in the championship game.
— Ashland has not fared well traditionally against the Bulldogs. Ferris State has a 16-7 edge in head-to-head matchups, and has won the last three straight, including two this season. AU dropped a 75-69 decision at FSU on Nov. 23.
