WILMORE, Ky.--- Nick Fort scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds but Asbury (9-2) couldn't top NCAA opponent Blackburn College (4-4), suffering only their second loss of the season on Saturday afternoon 80-93. 
 

Fort's 31-point showing is his second most this season, dropping 32 last Friday night. It was an efficient 13-22 from the field for Fort as he also gathered 11 rebounds for his seventh double-double in 11 games. 

Dakota Walden was feeling it from three making 5-9 for 15 points, 7-12 from three in his last two contests. Walden also dished four assists.

Ben McNew was the third-leading scorer for Asbury with 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Caleb Wallis led AU in assists with six, his third-most in a game this season after recording eight against Berea.

Blackburn's senior guard Chanz Aldridge scored a season-high 40 points on 13-24 from the floor with eight made threes. Aldridge went 5-6 from distance in the second half with 25 points. 

Izayah Talmade and Eliot Harrison II were right behind Aldridge with 18 and 15 points. Talmadge grabbed nine rebounds on the night while Harrison II collected six. 

Asbury led the turnover battle, scoring 19 points off of Blackburn's 12 committed turnovers. Blackburn's 54.7 percent from the field and 11 made threes proved to be too much for AU to handle. 

After Clayton Winter started the game with a layup it was Blackburn who responded with an 11-2 run that gave them an 11-4 lead. Outside of a Dakota Walden three that tied things at 11, Blackburn led Asbury throughout the entire first half. 

A 6-3 Asbury run powered by a Ben McNew three and a late John Shoulders jumper sent AU into the break trailing Blackburn 36-42. Nick Fort and Chanz Aldridge tied to lead all scorers heading into half at 15 apiece. 

Asbury started the second half on an 18-8 run that gave them their first lead since 2-0 at 54-50. The run was led by ten Nick Fort points and threes from Dakota Walden and John Shoulders. 

Chanz Aldridge responded by carrying Blackburn back to a 61-59 advantage after scoring ten straight points for his team with under ten minutes to go. 

Layups from Ashton Owens and Nick Fort gave Asbury a 65-63 lead but another Aldridge three-pointer pushed the Blackburn edge back to 71-65.

A Nick Fort tip-in got Asbury within two at 76-78 with 2:26 to go but again Aldridge knocked down a three that took Blackburn up six 82-76.

Asbury moves to 9-2 on the season after dropping their second consecutive home game.

* Nick Fort | 31 PTS, 11 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL (Seventh Double-Double)
* Dakota Walden | 15 PTS, 5-9 3PT, 4 AST, 2 STL
* Ben McNew | 11 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST
* Clayton Winter | 7 REB, 6 PTS 


* Blackburn shot 54.7% from the field and made 11 threes
* Asbury shot 25% from three


"We're not happy with the outcome of the game, but we are really happy with the effort from our guys. After being down at halftime, we fought hard to take the lead in the second half. Hats off to Aldridge, anytime you play a team where a guy scores 40 and his teammates also play well, you're going to have a hard time winning that game. Our guys do a great job of bouncing back and we look forward to the next game."
Russ Abner | Associate Head Coach


Asbury will host Mount St. Joseph at home in the Luce Center on Wednesday at 7 pm. 


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