FOREST CITY, Iowa - Senior guard Byron Emerson of Rockford, Ill., scored a game-high 23 points to lead three players in double figures as the Ashford University men's basketball team collected a critical road win at Waldorf College on Saturday, 70-66.

With the victory, the Saints remained in contention just 1.5 games back at the top of the Midwest Collegiate Conference standings. AU had received 15 votes in the latest NAIA Top-25 Coaches Poll earlier this week.

The Saints claimed the regular-season sweep over the pesky Warriors, but Saturday's game for Ashford was far from a given after Waldorf upset MCC-leading Grand View in recent history.

Sophomore Peter Tanzillo of Kewanee, Ill., added 11 points and a pair of blocks in his second start of the season and senior guard Daniel Joiner of West Chicago, Ill., poured in 10.

The Saints controlled the pace in the first half, leading from the opening tip until the break. AU's lead never swelled to more than eight on three occasions after a pair of buckets by Emerson and the back end of free throw attempts by Tanzillo.

Ashford led 29-28 at the half.

Straight out of the break, Waldorf's Karl Dehesa tied the game for the first game with a free throw, but Emerson stormed back with eight consecutive points in a game-shifting 14-2 run.

Emerson converted a three-point play, drilled a three-pointer and made the Warriors pay after a swatted shot by Tanzillo with a pair of free throws. His flurry helped the Saints recapture momentum and a trey by Joiner gave AU its first double-digit lead by 12.

Waldorf would trim the deficit to one on the back of Dehesa, who scored back-to-back buckets to cap an 8-0 run.

But the Saints would lead the rest of the way, thwarting every Waldorf rally comeback. Emerson put the Saints up by seven, but Warriors guard Chris Holloway made a three at the 1:17 mark to trim AU's lead to one again.

Ashford was able to get the job done at the free throw line in the late stages, getting key makes by junior guard Devin Ehrich of Thomson, Ill., and sophomore Matthias Burns of Chicago.

Chris Holloway led the balanced Warriors with 18 points. He was joined in double figures by Dehesa (13), Lorenzo Griffin (12) and Jeremy Winters, who had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

The Saints will look to take care of business on Wednesday, hosting St. Ambrose University in a critical game on Senior Night.