ADA, Ohio – The men's basketball team could not overcome a chilly first half shooting performance in a 72-60 loss at Ohio Northern on Saturday (Nov. 22). The Bulldogs trailed 33-26 at halftime after going 6-for-24 from the floor and 1-for-6 behind the arc. The Polar Bears shot 44.8 percent in the first half and connected on 3-for-11 from behind the arc.

The Bulldogs led 3-2 after a pair of Justin Webster free throws very early on and then saw ONU go on a 13-2 run which gave them a 15-5 lead at the 9:43 mark of the first half. Adrian was hurt by seven turnovers during the run, but climbed back into it cutting the lead down to 24-20 with 3:03 left in the opening half after a layup by Rickey Jackson, Jr. ONU had a 20-10 edge in the paint and got 18 points off the bench.

The Polar Bears jumped ahead 36-28 in the first 30 seconds of the second half, but then Adrian went on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 36-36 after a fast-break layup by Eric Lewis. The game was back-and-forth over the next few minutes, but ONU took over midway through the half stretching a one-point lead to 59-49 with 7:02 left in the contest. The Bulldogs could not get closer than seven points for the rest of the game.

Adrian improved their shooting in the second half going 9-for-26. The Bulldogs held a 37-35 edge on the boards including 14 offensive rebounds. Ben Rodak led the Bulldogs with nine rebounds. Lewis led the team with 18 points and also had five steals. Jackson, Jr. pumped in 17 points and went 7-for-10 at the free throw line.