The Ashland University men's basketball team missed more than 50 percent of its free throws in Thursday night's heated contest against Hillsdale College.
But the Eagles made two when they counted the most.
Forward Wendell David calmly sank two free throws with 2.9 seconds remaining to provide the difference in the Eagles' 59-57 win over the Chargers in Hillsdale's home GLIAC opener at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena. It was Hillsdale's first loss of the season, dropping it to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the GLIAC. Ashland, a much-improved team this season, is 7-1 overall and 2-1 in conference play.
The Eagles played tough, stifling defense on the Chargers all night long, and overcame tough shooting nights from the field (36 percent) as well as the free throw line (44 percent). Hillsdale didn't shoot the ball much better, hitting on 36 percent of its shots from the field.
One big advantage Ashland enjoyed was in ball control. The Eagles turned it over just six times, compared to 18 turnovers for Hillsdale. Getting those extra possessions is crucial in a game that goes down to the wire as this one did.
With seven minutes left in the second half, Ashland held a 52-41 lead, and the Chargers had scored just 11 points in the first 13 minutes of the half. That's when Hillsdale seemed to find a second wind, and went on a run that brought the home crowd to its feet.
Junior forward Kyle Cooper shook loose of the defense and converted a layup with 8 seconds left to tie the game at 57. That bucket capped a 16-5 run by the Chargers, a stretch where they were able to finally find a good offensive rhythm.
On Ashland's final possession, Davis drove hard to the left side of the paint and drew a foul going to the basket. He was rewarded with two free throws, and cashed in on them to put the Eagles back into the lead.
Cooper led all scorers with 22 points, needing just 11 shots to score that many. He also had 11 rebounds, 3 blocked shots and 2 steals for Hillsdale. Junior guard Zach Miller had 10 points and 3 assists, while junior Lucas Grose had 7, including his first career 3-point make.
Hillsdale returns to action at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoon, hosting Lake Erie College.
Photo by Jenny Bals