EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team (2-2) used sharp shooting from long range as it picked up a 91-78 win over Maryville (Tenn.) College (2-1) Tuesday evening at Bob Johnson Court. The Wasps' victory avenged an 11-point loss to the Scots on Saturday afternoon and marked the first time since the fall of 1995 that E&H has taken down the Maryville on the hardwood.
Emory & Henry got out to a 15-2 lead at the 15:04 mark of the first half. Sophomore forward Noah Walker (Bristol, Va.) scored the final five points of the spurt which gave the Wasps their largest lead of the game until the final minute of the second half. Down by 11 with 8:26 to play before the half, Maryville went on a 13-3 run covering 3:07 to cut the margin to 30-29. The squads battled through three ties and four lead changes in the final four minutes of the opening period, setting up a thrilling second half with a 40-40 tie at the intermission.
The Scots took the early advantage in the second half, going up by as much as seven with 12:13 left to play, 61-54. E&H found itself behind 64-57 with just under 10 minutes left in the second half and went on the offensive. The Wasps got their next seven baskets via the three-pointer, going on a 21-6 run to convert a seven-point deficit to a 10-point lead (78-68) with 4:42 to play.
Emory & Henry was satisfied to slow down the pace and was put on the free throw line 15 times in the final four-and-a-half minutes. The Wasps hit nine of those 15 attempts down the stretch which enabled them to hold off any attempt at a run by the Scots. E&H led by as much as 14, 90-76, in the final minute going on to take the 91-78 victory.
The Wasps saw three players reach double figures in scoring, led by junior guard Myles Turner's (Richmond, Va.) 20-point performance. Turner hit a trio of three-pointers and finished seven-for-nine from the line, adding seven rebounds and five assists in the victory. Junior guard Ryan Gravley (Austinville, Va.) put up 19 points, seven assists and two steals, hitting three three's while sophomore guard John Shelor (Giles, Va.) added 16 points with four three's, four rebounds and two assists. Walker and sophomore forward Chase Branscomb (Bristol, Va.) each added nine points off the bench with Branscomb's points coming via the long ball.
As a team, Emory & Henry shot 48.3 percent (29-for-60) from the floor, hitting 14 shots from long range (14-for-27; 51.9%). The Wasps forced the Scots into 16 turnovers which they converted into 24 points, scoring 30 points in the paint.
Maryville was paced by Spencer Shoffner, who had 17 points, four rebounds and three assists. Tyler Spicer added 17 points, hitting four three-pointers of his own, and pulled down four boards. Logan Brewer had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench. The Scots went 23-for-54 (42.6%) from the field, connecting on eight threes and hit 25 of their 37 free throw attempts (67.7%). MC held a 39-36 rebounding advantage which they converted to a 21-14 lead on second-chance points.
Emory & Henry will jump into Old Dominion Athletic Conference play on Saturday when it makes the trip across the Commonwealth to face off against No. 2 Virginia Wesleyan College. The Marlins reached the NCAA Division III national semifinals a year ago. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Caleb Johnston, E&H '15