GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – The Emory & Henry College Basketball Team (7-3, 1-2 SAC) made program history on Wednesday evening as it picked up its first-ever South Atlantic Conference win on the road at Tusculum University (5-2, 2-2 SAC). The Wasps took the win by a 78-75 margin. It was the 100th meeting between E&H and TU but the first since the 1980 season.
Tusculum is receiving votes in the NABC Division II Top 25 poll and is currently the fifth-ranked team in the Southeast Region by D2SIDA.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 78, Tusculum 75
LOCATION – Greeneville, Tennessee
VENUE – Pioneer Arena
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (7-3, 1-2 SAC); Tusculum (5-2, 2-2 SAC)
How It Happened
- Both teams got off to a hot start shooting the basketball and the fast pace led to an early 12-11 E&H lead at the first media timeout. The two squads continued to attack the basket and the score stood at 24-23 in favor of the home team with nine minutes to play in the opening half. The Pioneers would use a 9-2 run to push their lead out to as many as 11 and held the 47-37 advantage going into the halftime break.
- The Wasps came out of the locker room on fire, as they went on a 15-5 run in the first five minutes to trim the deficit to just three. A Jake Moynihan (Muncie, Ind.) three-pointer with 6:52 to play gave E&H its first lead of the second stanza at 70-67. Tusculum would not go quietly, as it battled back to retake the lead at 73-72 with 4:46 remaining on the clock. The visitors from Emory would turn up the defensive pressure and hold the Pioneers to just two points over the final four minutes and change. Junior guard Patrick Antonelli (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) hit a pair of clutch free throws down the stretch as the Wasps held on for their first conference win of the year.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Moynihan had 15 points, five rebounds, and a steal to lead the Wasps. Sophomore guard Jalen Leftwich (Lynchburg, Va.) added 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists and three steals.
- Senior guard Malcolm Morgan (Concord, N.C.) contributed 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals while Antonelli had 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal.
Tusculum Individual Leaders
- Inady Legiste led Tusculum with a double-double of 18 points and 16 rebounds in addition to four assists and three blocks. Justin MItchell added 17 points, three rebounds and an assist off of the bench.
- Connor Jordan had 13 points, four rebounds, three assists and a block in the loss for the Pioneers.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 45.1 percent (32-for-71) from the field while Tusculum made 32-of-65 (49.2%) of their shots. The Wasps and Pioneers each team hit seven three-pointers in the contest.
- Tusculum held a 39-36 rebounding advantage but the Wasps outscored the home team by a 42-36 margin in the paint.
- E&H crashed the glass for 18 offensive rebounds which it converted into 25 second chance points.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry returns home this Saturday to take on the Eagles of Carson-Newman University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., as the second part of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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