LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – The Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team (3-0) saw a pair of players eclipse the 20-point mark Saturday as it defeated Covenant College (2-1) by an 89-74 score, in the final game of the Covenant Classic. E&H earns three wins to start the season for the first time since the 1998-99 season when it also started off the year 3-0.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 89, Covenant 74
LOCATION – Lookout Mountain, Georgia – Barnes Physical Education Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (3-0, 0-0 ODAC); Covenant (2-1, 0-0 USA South)
How It Happened
- Emory & Henry led the entire game and started off with an 8-3 lead, 2:26 into the contest. With a 12-11 advantage midway through the opening half, the Wasps went on a 9-2 run to push the margin to 19-11.
- Later in the period, Emory & Henry had a 14-2 scoring spurt to go up 39-23, and extended the margin to 20 points (45-25) before going into the intermission up 45-28.
- Coming out of the break, the two squads traded baskets back and forth with the Wasps maintaining a double-digit lead. A 14-5 run which covered 4:10 gave E&H its largest advantage of the contest at 61-38 with 13:33 left to play.
- Covenant clawed its way back into the game, closing the gap to 11 at 65-54 thanks to a 16-4 run, but Emory & Henry responded to extend the lead back to 17 with 5:14 on the clock. The Scots made one last drive to cut the deficit to nine points (78-69) with 2:15 to go, but the Wasps went 9-for-13 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to seal the 89-74 win.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Sophomore forward Alic Wynn (Asheville, N.C.) notched his first career double-double, posting career-highs of 23 points and 16 rebounds, going 10-for-13 from the field.
- Freshman guard Colin Molden (Apex, N.C.) put up double figures for the second time in three contests with 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting to go along with two rebounds, two steals and an assist.
- Senior guard Myles Turner (Richmond, Va.) put up 11 points and two boards while sophomore forward Aaron Ferguson (Princeton, W.Va.) had 12 points and four rebounds off the bench.
- Senior guard Ryan Gravley (Austinville, Va.) tacked on seven points, eight rebounds and two steals, doing all of his damage at the free throw line.
Covenant Individual Leaders
- Berto Dryden noted a team-high 20 points on 6-for-15 shooting while Will Portlock had 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
- Patjo Twagirayezu posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Scots while Connor Spears and Z Arima had nine points each.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 52.4 percent (33-for-63) for the game, despite only connecting on two-of-six (33%) three-point attempts. Covenant shot 23-for-60 (38.3%) from the field on the evening.
- The Wasps dominated down low, outscoring the Scots by a 2-to-1 margin, 48-24, on points in the paint.
- E&H led the battle for the boards, 40-32, and while offensive rebounding was tied 12-12, Covenant held a slight 17-15 advantage on second-chance points. The Scots also took better advantage of turnovers, leading 21-15 on points off Wasp miscues.
Notable
- Emory & Henry earns its second win in as many days over a team which qualified for the 2016 NCAA Division III Tournament. Covenant reached the "Division III Dance" by virtue of the USA South Athletic Conference's automatic bid.
- LaGrange College, the Wasps' opponent from Friday evening, earned an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament after reaching the championship game of the USA South Tournament.
- The 1998-99 season, the last time E&H started the year 3-0, resulted in a 15-11 overall record and a trip to the ODAC Tournament Semifinals.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry will remain on the road Wednesday when it travels to face Maryville (Tenn.) College. Tipoff between the Wasps and Scots is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
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-photo courtesy of Joey Gass