FLORENCE, S.C. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (0-1) got the 2025-26 season underway Friday afternoon at the Southeast Region Crossover hosted by Francis Marion University. The Wasps fell by a 100-80 margin to the Sand Sharks of the University of South Carolina at Beaufort.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – USC Beaufort 100, Emory & Henry 80
LOCATION – Florence, South Carolina
VENUE – Smith University Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (0-1, 0-0 SAC); USC Beaufort (1-0, 0-0 Peach Belt)
How It Happened
- The two teams traded blows through the beginning of the game and the Wasps held a narrow 10-8 advantage thanks to a dunk from senior forward Assad Madassalia (Bronx, N.Y.). A quick 12-0 run by the Sand Sharks leapfrogged them into the lead and pushed their advantage out to 20-10 with just under 10 minutes remaining. E&H battled back and a layup from senior guard Yaturi Bolton (Charleston, S.C.) trimmed the deficit to just four at 22-18. Things held steady through the middle of the opening half and USCB maintained a 35-30 margin at the under four minute media timeout. Another layup from Madassalia at the one-minute mark brought the visitors from Emory back within three, but USCB finished the half with an old-fashioned three-point play to give them a 41-35 lead at the halftime break.
- The Wasps kept themselves within striking distance over the first five minutes of the second stanza, but the Sand Sharks utilized a 16-3 run over the next five minutes to push their lead out to 20 at 67-47. A quick 6-0 spurt from Emory & Henry brought them back within 14, but USCB continued to pour shots into the basket from the field, increasing the margin back out to 80-58 at the 7:37 mark. The Sand Sharks had an answer for every E&H run through the rest of the game, taking the season opener by the 100-80 final score.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Junior guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) led the Wasps offensively with 14 points, three assists, one rebound and a steal. Sophomore guard Sam Ritchie (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) added 11 points, three rebounds and a steal off of the bench while junior forward Jalen Smith (San Antonio, Texas) finished with nine points and three boards.
- Freshman guard Melchior Hughes (Geneva, SWITZERLAND) contributed seven points, four rebounds and two helpers. Junior forward Trenten Gerald (Charlotte, N.C.) posted six points and six boards in just eight minutes off of the bench for the Wasps.
USC Beaufort Individual Leaders
- Dominic Eason registered a game-high 20 points, six rebounds, two assists and a block while Ismail Rashid had 14 points, seven rebounds, two steals and an assist.
- Dylan Lewis went for 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a pair of blocked shots. Evan Kilminster chipped in with 10 points, five assists and a trio of rebounds.
A Deeper Look
- The Wasps went 25-for-71 (35.2%) from the field while the Sand Sharks shot 47.8% (33-for-69). E&H knocked down just four shots (13.3%) from beyond the three-point arc compared to 10 (31.3%) for USCB.
- Emory & Henry outrebounded Beaufort by a narrow 45-43 margin, but the Sand Sharks outscored the Wasps 42-38 in the paint.
- E&H committed 17 turnovers that USCB converted into 31 points, while the Sand Sharks coughed up the basketball 14 times for only 14 points for the Wasps.
- Emory & Henry was 26-for-37 (70.3%) from the charity stripe compared to 77.4% (24-for-31) for USC Beaufort.
Up Next
- The Wasps will look to bounce back tomorrow as they wrap up the Southeast Region Crossover against the Saints of Flagler College. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. from the Smith University Center in Florence, South Carolina.
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