After an embarrassing 0-6 start, the AU men's basketball team dominated Mount St. Mary's (1-5) Wednesday, 80-60, in its first home game of the season.ÿÿ
Junior forward Brayden Billbe led AU (1-6) with 19 points and six rebounds, but a steady 4-to-1 assist-turnover ratio by freshman guard Derrick Mercer sealed the win.ÿ
"The last time we had anyone approaching that [ratio] was Andres Rodriguez," coach Jeff Jones said, referring to the Eagle's point guard from 2001-2004. "He did a good job and was real solid running the show."
Junior guards Andre Ingram (13 points) and Arvydas Eitutavicius (11 points) regained their offensive touches after scoring in single digits in three of their last four games.
AU shot well all around, converted 25 of 32 free throws hitting 51 percent of its field goals for the game.
AU attacked the basket each possession, never letting up down the stretch despite the lead
"We have a lot of work to do before we approach being the kind of team we hope to be," Jones said.ÿ"But tonight was the first time for the majority of the game we were in attacking mode."
The Eaglesÿopened up the game on an 11-0 run, prompting the Mount coach Milan Jones to substitute out four of his starters.
The Mount switched into a two-three zone halfway through the first to keep the ball out of the hands of Billbe.
Jones inserted a smaller lineup in an attempt to attack the zone with penetration.
But the move backfired for the Eagles as they gave up seven offensive rebounds in a five-minute stretch.
"That's something we haven't seen a lot of this year," Jones said of the Mount's zone defense.ÿ"They got us to play side-to-side instead of attacking the basket."
The Mount trailed, 32-31, at halftime, but failed to gain a lead throughout the contest as AU held a double-digit lead for the last 11:36 of the game. Forward Charles Smith led with 13 points off the bench.
AU slammed by Mason at BB&T Classic debut
For the second time in three days, the Eagles lost by more than 30 points. And for the second time in less than a week, Jones used the same term to describe their play.
"It's embarrassing," he said, visibly struggling for words after an uncompetitive 75-35 loss to George Mason Monday in the BB&T Classic at MCI Center.
The 40 point loss was the worst in the Classic's 11-year history and tied for the seventh-worst in AU history, the last one coming at Clemson in 1977. It was also the Eagles' sixth-straight defeat, making for their worst start since beginning the 1994-95 season 0-11.
The Patriots (4-3) opened the game on a 16-0 run behind 6-of-7 shooting and four 3-pointers. The Eagles didn't manage a field goal until Billbe's tip-in almost seven minutes into the game, although they only ended up four more before trailing at halftime, 37-12.
AU shot just 22.6 percent, including a scant 18.5 percent in the first half, while only freshman guard Derrick Mercer (10 points) scored in double figures.
Freshman forward Jordan Nichols grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, including seven offensive boards.
But it wasn't youth that cost AU. Missing were the Eagles' top three scorers, all juniors.ÿIngram had just three points in 19 minutes and Billbe had two while Eitutavicius was held scoreless.
"It's the upperclassmen that have to step forward to lead," Jones said. "By lead, I'm not talking about talking. I'm talking about getting the job done on the court."
The Patriots were led by guard Lamar Butler, who scored the last of his 23 points midway through the second half when AU had tallied just 22.
