Ashford Downed by Tennessee Wesleyan | Schools

CLINTON, Iowa--Continuing a stretch of games in the Sunshine State, the Ashford University men's basketball team returned to the floor inside the ICI Center on Thursday afternoon for the consolation contest of the 2013 Bahama House Classic.  The event was hosted on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.As in Wednesday's matchup, Ashford battled back from a double-digit deficit but fell short in the end as the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan University came out on the winning end of an 81-76 decision.

Freshman forward Tim Huber netted a career-high 21 points and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while Vesteinn Sveinsson and Brandon Weston scored 19 and 14 points, respectively. 

The Saints shot 50% (17-of-34) from the floor in the first half, but there was a stretch where it appeared as if the team couldn't do anything right.  With the score tied at 10, Tennessee Wesleyan raced out on a 14-0 run, which lasted just over five minutes, to put AU in a 24-10 hole with 11:29 to play before halftime.

Fortunately, AU found its groove shortly after.

Eleven quick points, nine of which coming from Weston, allowed Ashford to claw back on an 11-0 run of its own to make it a three-point contest just under the ten-minute mark of the half.  From there, the tilt tied on three occasions and Ashford took a lead as big as five points but the Bulldogs would carry a 44-42 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Weston scored 14 points on five-of-seven shooting from the floor in the first half while Sveinsson and East Moline, Ill.-native Damon Overton each tallied nine points.  AU outrebounded the Bulldogs, 20-15 but committed eight turnovers against TWU's four in the first frame.

The second half saw eight lead changes and four knotted up scores but a 71-71 tie with 4:38 to play in regulation would be as close as the Saints would come to picking up the victory as Tennessee Wesleyan won the battle, 81-75.

Ashford turned its halftime rebounding lead into a 40-29 victory on the glass, which included a 14-8 clip on the offensive end, and outscored the Bulldogs 22-10 in second chance points.  However, an 0-for-9 effort from three-point land in the second half and 19 turnovers allowed the Saints to fall to 11-6 overall this season.

Sveinsson and sophomore point guard DeAndre Lowery Jr. each tallied five assists.

Tennessee Wesleyan improves to 8-8 with the victory.

AU closes out the three-game Florida roadtrip on Saturday, Jan. 5 when the team visits Lake Wales, Fla. for a matchup with Warner University.  Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. central time.

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