LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. - Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball senior guard Myles Turner (Richmond, Va.) went coast-to-coast in the final seven seconds to hit a game-winning layup to give the Wasps (2-0) a 80-78 win over LaGrange College (1-1). The contest was the first in the two-day, four-game Covenant Classic, played on the campus of Covenant College.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 80, LaGrange 78
LOCATION – Lookout Mountain, Georgia – Barnes Physical Education Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (2-0, 0-0 ODAC); LaGrange (1-1, 0-0 USA South)
How It Happened
- The Wasps scored the first nine points of the contest and pushed their lead to 13-3 at the 14:11 mark of the first half on a jumper by Turner. E&H extended its advantage to the largest of the game with 9:15 on the clock thanks to a three-pointer by freshman guard Colin Molden (Apex, N.C.) which capped a 10-2 run.
- LaGrange began to chip away at the Emory & Henry lead, cutting the margin to 39-35 with 2:30 to go before the break. The Panthers outscored the Wasps by a 24-12 clip over a 6:12 span to get back into the game. E&H would take a 42-36 lead into the intermission.
- Coming out of the locker room, Emory & Henry scored the first seven points of the period to go back up by double digits, but a 9-0 run by LaGrange trimmed the margin back to four (49-45). The Panthers continued to keep the pressure on, using another nine-point streak later in the half to take their first lead of the game, 62-61, with 9:08 remaining.
- The Wasps went back on top, scoring the next six points and led by two possessions for much of the next six minutes. Down by six with 1:10 to go, LaGrange's Elijah Adedoyin hit a three-pointer to make the score 78-75. Another Panther three by Justyn Olson with seven seconds remaining tied things up setting the stage for Turner's game-winning drive to the hoop and the 80-78 victory.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Turner finished the contest with 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals, hitting six of his 11 field goal attempts.
- Senior guard Ryan Gravley (Austinville, Va.) led the Wasps with 15 points and pitched in three steals while sophomore forward Aaron Ferguson (Princeton, W.Va.) tacked on 12 points and four boards off the bench.
- Junior forward Chase Branscomb (Bristol, Tenn.) posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds while sophomore forward Alic Wynn (Asheville, N.C.) added eight points and a game-high 13 boards.
LaGrange Individual Leaders
- Olson connected on six-of-nine three-point attempts in the game to finish with 29 points, adding seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Adedoyin put up 14 points and three assists off the bench while Drew Vanderbook tacked on 13 points and three rebounds.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry went 31-for-63 (49.2%) from the field compared to 44.4 percent (24-for-54) for LaGrange. The Wasps held a 36-20 lead on points in the paint while the Panthers led 9-3 on three-pointers made.
- E&H led the battle of the boards, 40-35, but LaGrange made efficient use of turnovers, scoring 24 points on 15 Emory & Henry miscues. The Wasps managed only 14 points, despite turning the Panthers over 16 times.
Notable
- LaGrange reached the championship game of the 2016 USA South Athletic Conference Tournament a season ago and also received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
- It is the first time since December of 2009 that the Wasps and Panthers have met on the hardwood. That contest, part of Centre College's Papa John's/Country Hearth Inn Tournament, resulted in a 73-70 E&H win.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will complete its play in the Covenant Classic on Saturday evening when it faces off against the host Covenant Scots at 6:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Joey Gass