WILMORE, Ky.--- Asbury men's basketball (3-5, 0-0 CCS) was lifted over Boyce College (1-5) on Tuesday night in the Luce Center behind senior sport management major Ben McNew's game-winning layup in the final seconds, 78-76. The game was presented by Bluegrass Orthopaedics, an official Asbury Athletics Corporate Sponsor.
In a closely contested non-conference showdown in Wilmore, Ky., the Eagles overturned a halftime deficit to secure the win. The game was back-and-forth from the start with Asbury trailing 43-39 at halftime, but AU outscored Boyce 39-33 in the second half for the win.
Sophomore business admin major Jonathan Combs led the scoring for Asbury with a career-high 20 points on 8-11 shooting and gathered four rebounds. Senior Clayton Winter added 15 points and was just shy of a double-double with his eight rebounds and four assists. Winter is third in the CCS with 3.4 assists per game.
Both teams made 30 field goals in the game while AU shot 46% and Boyce shot 48% from the field. Boyce made nine threes to Asbury's seven, while Trevor Nauert going 6-9 from distance with 25 points for the Bulldogs.
Boyce took the rebound battle 34-27, but AU forced the Bulldogs into 10 turnovers while only committing up seven giveaways. The Eagles scored 17 points off the Boyce turnovers.
Asbury had 15 points off the bench, led by sophomore Cayden Lancaster with 12 points on 5-6 shooting. Other notable contributions came from McNew, scoring 13 points and grabbed six rebounds with two steals. McNew is fourth in the CCS in scoring at 15.4 points per game.
McNew's game-winner was the peak of several key moments throughout the night that included impressive performances and pivotal plays from the Eagles' squad. Not to be overlooked, Lancaster and Cam Jones added crucial points and rebounds to help build the team's momentum.
Looking ahead, the Eagles will hit the road for the Covenant College Classic in Lookout Mountain, Ga., facing Toccoa Falls College on Friday night and Bob Jones University on Saturday at noon.
"All that matters is for us to find a way to win at the end of the game. This was an important win for us to get. I'm thankful for all my teammates and for God to give me this opportunity to compete."
Jonathan Combs | So. | Business Admin Major | Taylorsville, Ky.
* Jonathan Combs | 20 PTS (Career-High), 8-11 FG, 4 REB
* Clayton Winter | 15 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST
* Ben McNew | 13 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL
* Cayden Lancaster | 12 PTS, 5-6 FG, 3 REB
* Tyler Hall | 10 PTS, 2-3 3PT, 2 REB
* Cam Jones | 4 AST, 3 REB
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