EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (14-9, 9-8 SAC) came up on the short end of its South Atlantic Conference rivalry showdown with the University of Virginia's College at Wise (18-7, 11-6 SAC) Wednesday night. The Cavaliers held off a late surge from the Wasps to escape Emory with the 73-69 win.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – UVA Wise 73, Emory & Henry 69
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (14-9, 9-8 SAC); UVA Wise (18-7, 11-6 SAC)
How It Happened
- The two teams went back-and-forth to start the game and a three from sophomore guard Sam Ritchie (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) gave the Wasps a narrow 11-10 advantage at the 13:40 mark. The two teams struggled to create separation and a three by sophomore guard Korbin Dixon (Milton, Ontario, CANADA) tied the contest at 16-16 with 10:11 to play in the first half. Wise would go on a 10-4 run over the next six minutes of play to give themselves a 26-20 advantage, but back-to-back buckets by freshman forward Donnie Morris (Tampa, Fla.) and freshman guard Melchior Hughes (Geneva, SWITZERLAND) brought E&H back within a point at 26-25. A three by Wise's Patrick Shelley just before the buzzer gave them the 37-31 lead heading into the break.
- Wise scored the first five points of the second half to push their lead out to its largest of the contest at 42-31. Emory & Henry slowly worked its way back into contention and a putback by junior forward Jalen Smith (San Antonio, Texas) brought them back within three at 46-43 with 13:42 showing on the clock. The Wasps completed the comeback on a layup by senior forward Assad Madassalia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) that tied the game up once more at 52-52 at the 9:13 mark. Wise found its rhythm through the latter stages of the frame and held on to a 65-58 lead with 4:21 left to play. Emory & Henry dug in and refused to quit as Dixon drilled a pair of threes and Hughes knocked down a pair of shots at the free throw line to push E&H back on top at 66-65 at the 3:13 mark. That is where the Wasps went cold however, as the Cavaliers finished on an 8-3 run to escape the King Center with the 73-69 victory.
Emory & Henry Leaders
- Dixon led the Wasps with a game-high 27 points, five rebounds, one assist and a steal while junior guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) added 15 points, four assists, two rebounds and a steal.
- Hughes finished with 13 points, three steals, two assists and a pair of rebounds. Madassalia recorded four points, eight boards and a trio of swatted shots.
UVA Wise Individual Leaders
- Evan Ramsey paced the Cavaliers with a double-double of 15 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. Shelley recorded 14 points, six rebounds, three steals, one assist and a block.
- Kam Roberts collected 14 points and five rebounds while Cy Hardy went for 12 points, one rebound, one assist and a steal.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry finished shooting just 37.7% (23-for-61) from the field, but knocked down 46.2% (12-for-26) of their attempts from long range. The Wasps were 73.3% (11-for-15) from the charity stripe.
- UVA Wise shot 48.2% (27-for-56) overall and 33.3% (2-for-6) from deep. The Cavaliers converted 81.0% (17-for-21) of their attempts at the free throw line.
- Wise outrebounded the Wasps 37-33, but E&H held a 15-6 advantage on second chance points.
- E&H recorded 12 assists, compared to just four for the Cavaliers.
- Emory & Henry forced 12 Wise turnovers, converted the mistakes into 15 points. The Cavaliers forced nine E&H miscues and put up just eight points off of those mistakes.
- Wise dominated the paint, outscoring E&H by a large 36-22 margin.
- The Cavaliers took advantage on the fastbreak, putting up 12 points compared to just three for Emory & Henry.
- The game saw seven ties and five lead changes.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry is at home this Saturday, February 14 when the Wasps host Catawba College. Tip is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. from the John Rutledge King Center.
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