MARYVILLE, Tenn. — A dominant stretch midway through the second half proved decisive Tuesday night as Asbury (6-18, 4-7 CCS) fell 71–54 to Maryville (20-4, 11-0 CCS) at Cooper Athletic Center's Randy Lambert Court in Maryville, Tenn.
Sophomore applied mathematics major Indred Whitaker powered Asbury's offense with a career-high 17 points, knocking down five-of-10 attempts from three-point range while adding two steals in 21 minutes.
Forward Lual Ayiei nearly posted a triple-double, finishing with nine points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks in 35 minutes as he anchored an Eagles defense that recorded nine blocks on the night. The eight blocks were most in a Asbury men's basketball game since November 14th, 2006 when Brett Johnson recorded nine against Mid-Continent University.
Asbury opened strongly behind the perimeter shooting of its guards, with an early three-pointer from Cam Jones sparking the Eagles' offense and a later triple from Konlin Brown tying the game at 23–23. A paint finish by William Burnside put Asbury ahead 25–23 with just over four minutes left in the first half, but Maryville answered with a three-pointer from Jackson Garner and closed the half on an 8–0 run, including a late jumper from Chase Morgan, to take a 31–25 advantage into the locker room.
The Eagles responded after halftime. Ayiei threw down a dunk in the opening seconds of the second quarter to cut the margin, and Tyler Hall buried a three-pointer that brought Asbury within two at 34–32. From there, however, Maryville began to separate. The Scots used their size and depth on the glass to create multiple extra possessions, with Javi Rosell knocking down a three-pointer during a surge that pushed the lead to 43–33 and shifted momentum to the home side.
Maryville closed with balance and pressure on both ends. Morgan finished with a game-high 18 points on seven-of-16 shooting to go with five rebounds and two blocks, while Rosell added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes. Matthew Schneider contributed eight points and seven rebounds, including four on the offensive end, as Maryville owned a 47–31 edge on the boards and a commanding 18–7 advantage in offensive rebounds.
Asbury's offensive rhythm continued to rely on the perimeter, with the Eagles going 10-for-25 from beyond the arc and finishing 19-for-55 from the field overall. The team handed out 13 assists against 14 turnovers and collected six steals, using its activity to generate transition chances.
*
Indred Whitaker | 17 PTS (Career-High), (5-10 3 PT)
*
Lual Ayiei | 9 PTS, 10 REB, 8 BLK (Career-High)
*
Jordan Lewis | 6 PTS, 6 AST
Asbury returns home for their last regular season game of the season for Senior Day against LaGrange on Feb. 21, at 4 PM.
* Our vision is to serve, train, and compete for the glory of God
* Follow @asburyeagles on Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube
* Watch all TeamAU home games live at Asbury Sports Digital Network.com
* Use the links attached to team schedules to watch live or follow live stats
* Shop AU gear via the "Shop" button at asburyeagles.com
