EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (15-12, 10-11 SAC) snapped a four-game losing streak Wednesday night, as the Wasps completed the season sweep of Tusculum University (10-17, 6-15 SAC). E&H established a six-point halftime lead and held off a late Pioneer rally to earn the 79-72 victory. The Wasps have clinched a spot in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament for the first time since making the transition to the Division II ranks, and will make the program's first appearance in the postseason since the 2020-21 season.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 79, Tusculum 72
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Bob Johnson Court at the John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (15-12, 10-11 SAC); Tusculum (10-17, 6-15 SAC)
How It Happened
- The Wasps were fast out of the gate, running out to a 10-5 lead at the first media timeout. E&H continued to knock down shots and a three from sophomore guard Sam Ritchie (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) pushed their advantage out to 17-5 at the 15:13 mark. TU closed the gap to five at 18-13, but the Wasps reeled off an 8-0 run over the following two minutes to push the margin out to 26-13 with just over nine minutes left in the opening stanza. The Wasp advantage reached its largest of the contest at 35-16 at the 7:18 mark when freshman guard Melchior Hughes (Geneva, SWITZERLAND) knocked down a jumper from long range. Tusculum slowly chipped away at the deficit, finishing the half on a 12-0 run over the final four and a half minutes of the half and the score stood at 42-36 heading into the locker room.
- Emory & Henry pushed the lead back out to double digits to begin the second half, scoring the first five points of the frame to make it 47-36. E&H's margin reached a comfortable amount with 13:20 on the clock when junior guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) drained a three to push the score out to 58-44 in favor of the home team. The Pioneers would not go quietly however, as they brought themselves back into striking distance at 63-56 with 8:45 remaining. TU would tighten things up even more with a 7-2 run to slice the Wasps' lead to just a pair at 65-63 with just over five minutes left in the contest. That was as close as the visitors would get, as E&H had an answer for every attempted Pioneer run. Free throws from junior guard Jaden Andrew (St. John's, ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA) and a layup by Crawford sealed the deal on the Wasps' 79-72 win.
Emory & Henry Leaders
- Sophomore guard Korbin Dixon (Milton, Ontario, CANADA) paced E&H with a game-high 26 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Crawford went for 15 points, five rebounds, three helpers and a pair of steals.
- Andrew finished with 11 points, three boards, two assists and a pair of steals while senior forward Assad Madassalia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) had eight points, two rebounds, one block and a steal in the win.
Tusculum Individual Leaders
- Malachi Hale led the Pioneers with a team-high 23 points, six rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist off of the bench. Bryce Jackson posted 16 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal.
- TJ Printup collected 16 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal and a blocked shot while Wesley Johnson had 11 points and eight boards.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry finished shooting 42.6% (26-for-61) from the floor and 31.3% (10-for-32) from beyond the three-point arc. The Wasps made 77.3% (17-for-22) of their attempts at the free throw line.
- Tusculum was 27-for-64 (42.2%) overall and 8-for-21 (38.1%) from deep. The Pioneers struggled mightily at the charity stripe, making just 55.6% (10-for-18) of their attempts.
- Tusculum held a slight 41-37 advantage on the boards, but Emory & Henry took advantage of their second chances as they put up 14 points compared to 10 for the Pioneers.
- The Wasps took care of the basketball as they committed a season-low six turnovers while forcing 12 TU miscues. E&H converted those mistakes into 14 points while Tusculum had eight points off of turnovers.
- It was close in the painted area, as the Wasps outscored the Pioneers by a narrow 32-30 margin.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry wraps up the regular season on Saturday, February 28 against Coker University for Senior Day. Tip is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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