EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (12-8, 7-7 SAC) picked up a big South Atlantic Conference win over No. 21 nationally-ranked Lenoir-Rhyne University (16-6, 10-4 SAC) inside the John Rutledge King Center Friday afternoon. The game was moved from Saturday due to inclement weather in the area. The Wasps overcame a halftime deficit to defeat the Bears by a 93-86 scoreline. The win is Emory & Henry's first over a ranked program since downing No. 13 Virginia Wesleyan University, 94-89, in double overtime on Saturday, February 15 when the Wasps were still a member of Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 93, No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne 86
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (12-8, 7-7 SAC); Lenoir-Rhyne (16-6, 10-4 SAC)
How It Happened
- It was a back-and-forth affair to start and the Wasps clung to a narrow 9-7 lead with 15:55 showing on the clock. A 7-2 run over the following four minutes of play saw E&H bump its advantage up to seven points over the visiting Bears. LR responded with a 17-3 run over the next four minutes to leapfrog into the lead at 26-19. E&H battled back and retook the lead at 44-42 with back-to-back dunks from freshman forward Donnie Morris (Tampa, Fla.) and sophomore guard Korbin Dixon (Milton, Ontario, CANADA), but a Tyler Burraston three just before the buzzer gave the No. 21 Bears the 45-44 advantage at the halftime break.
- The Wasps were hot to start the second frame as they ran out to a 63-56 lead after the opening eight minutes of action. Emory & Henry continued to knock down buckets and pushed their lead out to double digits at 73-62 at the 7:32 mark of the second half. Lenoir-Rhyne managed to trim the deficit to six at 82-76, but the Wasps had an answer for every attempted Bear run down the stretch. E&H was solid on the defensive end and clutch at the free throw line as the Wasps clinched the big win by a 93-86 final tally.
Emory & Henry Leaders
- Sophomore guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) went for 22 points, four assists, three rebounds and a steal while Dixon added 22 points, three boards, two assists and a pair of steals.
- Sophomore forward Isaac Hymes (Phoenix, Ariz.) registered 10 points, one rebound and a steal. Junior guard Jaden Andrew (St. John's, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA) recorded eight points, five steals, four rebounds and added a helper in the win for the Wasps.
Lenoir-Rhyne Individual Leaders
- Conrad Luczynski finished with a double-double of 26 points, 14 rebounds, two blocked shots, two assists and a steal. Akili Evans had 16 points, four assists, three rebounds and a blocked shot.
- Keyishon Miller posted 14 points, seven rebounds and a steal off of the bench while Julian Dozier collected 11 points, four assists, three steals and a rebound.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry finished shooting 51.9% (24-for-52) from the field and 38.1% (8-for-21) from beyond the three-point arc. The Wasps were 31-for-36 (86.1%) at the free throw line.
- Lenoir-Rhyne was 26-for-51 (51.0%) overall, but shot just 27.8% (5-for-18) from long range. The Bears converted 80.6% (29-for-36) of their chances at the charity stripe.
- LR held a big 36-20 advantage on the glass, and converted those rebounds into 17 second chance points compared to just four for the Wasps.
- E&H was stingy on the defensive end, forcing a season-high 23 Lenoir-Rhyne turnovers that they converted into 26 points. The Bears forced 15 miscues that they turned into 18 points.
- Emory & Henry took advantage of their opportunities in transition, outscoring the Bears by a big 31-16 on the fastbreak.
- The two teams were deadlocked at 36 points apiece in the painted area.
- The contest saw 14 ties and 16 lead changes.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry is on the road next Wednesday, February 4 when they travel to Mars Hill. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Mars Hill, North Carolina.
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