COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Dominican men's basketball team fell to Ashland on Thursday inside Alumni Hall by the final score of 82-69.

With the loss, the Panthers fall to 5-13 (3-10 GLIAC) on the season. With the win, Ashland improves to 14-5 (8-5 GLIAC) on the season and stays atop the GLIAC South standings.

The top three scorers for ODU were freshmen as Mike DeLeon (Powell, OH) scored a career high 15 points while grabbing eight rebounds. DeLeon also went a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line.

Ronnie Williams (Columbus, OH) scored 13 points for ODU, as he made 3-of-5 three point attempts. Shemar Waugh (Columbus, OH) added 12 points and six rebounds of the bench.

Junior Chad Nelson (Columbus, OH) scored 11 points while dishing out three assists. Senior Jesse Ward (North Pole, AK) tied a season high in points with seven, while also recording three rebounds.

Freshman Adam Cytlak (Van Buren, OH) added five points and dished out a team high four assists for the second time in three games.

ODU received double digit scoring from four players for the first time since the 82-77 victory at Bluefield State on December 20, 2014.

AU started the game on an 18-4 run over the opening seven minutes of action. The Panthers would cut the first half deficit to nine points, 29-20 after a three point play from Waugh with 6:29 left to play before the intermission.  

The four freshmen four ODU combined for 19-of-the-24 first half points for the Panthers on 7-of-18 shooting.

The Eagles would jump out to a 48-27 lead early in the second half before a quick 10-2 run by the Panthers cut the deficit to 13, 50-37 with 14:04 remaining.

ODU would cut the AU lead to as little as nine with under a minute remaining after another three point play from Waugh. The Eagles, however, would make good on all four free throws down the stretch to take the 82-69 victory.

The Panthers shot 42.3 percent (22-of-52) from the field for the game and 56.5 percent (13-23) from the field in the second half. ODU made 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) free throws in the contest.

The Black and Gold will look to bounce back as they host Lake Erie at 3 p.m. on Saturday inside Alumni Hall.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu