LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team (9-0, 2-0 ODAC) kept its perfect season intact as it defeated North Park University (3-7, 0-2 CCIW) by a 74-69 score on Thursday afternoon at Transylvania University's Don Lane Classic.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 74, North Park 69
LOCATION – Lexington, Kentucky
VENUE – Don Lane Court at the Clive M. Beck Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (9-0, 2-0 ODAC); North Park (3-7, 0-2 CCIW)
How It Happened
- The Wasps and Vikings went back and forth for much of the first half. Down 15-14, Emory & Henry put together a 12-3 run to go up 26-18 with 6:18 left. E&H later scored 11 in a row to lead 39-25, taking a 39-27 advantage into the locker room.
- North Park opened with eight of the first 10 points of the second half to close the gap to 41-35. An 8-2 run by E&H pushed the margin back to 12 (49-37) with 15:12 on the clock.
- Trailing by 10 with under 13 minutes to go, the Vikings began their rally which drew the margin to within three, 72-69, with 21 seconds left.
- Emory & Henry made a stand in the final moments to seal the 74-69 victory. After a missed three-pointer by NPU, which would have tied the game at 72-all, sophomore guard Colin Molden (Apex, N.C.) hit a layup with two seconds remaining.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Molden led the Wasps with 20 points, going 9-for-16 from the field with five assists.
- Sophomore guard Daniel Spencer (Concord, N.C.) put up 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals off the bench while senior forward Chase Branscomb (Bristol, Tenn.) notched 13 points and three rebounds.
- Senior guard John Shelor (Giles, Va.) and freshman guard Tharon Suggs (Raleigh, N.C.) each had eight points with Suggs adding six assists and three rebounds.
North Park Individual Leaders
- Colin Lake posted 25 points with seven three-pointers, six of which came in the second half, five rebounds and two steals.
- Billy Kirby had 25 points of his own, going 10-for-15 from the field with four treys, five assists and two boards.
- Three different Vikings contributed six points, led by Matt Mohr with five rebounds and two assists.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot at a blistering pace, going 31-for-55 (56.4%) from the field with seven three-pointers. The Wasps made five of their eight (62.5%) free throw attempts.
- North Park hit 44.8 percent (26-for-58) of its field goal attempts, connecting on 15 three-pointers (42.9%).
- The Vikings held a 28-26 rebounding advantage, including an 8-3 margin on the offensive glass, which translated to a 10-3 lead on second-chance points.
- Emory & Henry led 36-16 on points in the paint and scored 16 points off 11 North Park turnovers.
- The Wasps also posted a 10-0 advantage on the fast break.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will take time out for the Christmas Holiday before traveling to Wooster, Ohio for the "Mose" Hole/Kiwanis Classic at the College of Wooster.
- The Wasps will open play on Friday, December 29 against the Alma College Scots at 5:00 p.m.
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