HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team (12-8, 4-7 SAC) took down Coker University (11-10, 5-6 SAC) in last-second fashion on Saturday afternoon. The Wasps edged the Cobras by a 79-78 score for their third South Atlantic Conference road win of the season.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 78, Coker 77
LOCATION – Hartsville, South Carolina
VENUE – Dan Schmotzer Court at the Harris E. & Louise H. DeLoach Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (12-8, 4-7 SAC); Coker (11-10, 5-6 SAC)
How It Happened
- The Wasps got off to a slow start, as they turned the ball over four times in the early stages of the first half and trailed 6-3 at the first media timeout. The Cobras pushed their advantage to 14-5 but E&H responded with a 12-0 run, capped by a corner three from fifth-year guard Micah Banks (Simpsonville, S.C.) to take the lead for the first time with 10:42 to play. The two teams traded buckets through the middle of the opening frame and stood tied 28-28 at the four-minute mark. Coker would take a narrow 38-35 advantage into the halftime break.
- Both teams came out of the break wanting to push the tempo, and a layup from sophomore forward Cade Looney (Grundy, Va.) gave E&H the 46-45 lead with 15:10 on the clock. The Cobras would retake the lead 52-51, but an old-fashioned three-point play from freshman guard Christian Drummer (Lawrenceville, Ga.) put the Wasps back in front with 10:24 to go. The game continued to be a back-and-forth affair and Coker held the narrow 68-66 lead at the 4:38 mark. Made baskets down the stretch from both squads set up an exciting finish with the score at 77-76 in favor of the Cobras with just 30 seconds left. Junior guard Patrick Antonelli (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) got a hand on the ball to force a turnover, then whipped a pass ahead to sophomore guard Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.) for the go-ahead layup with only 5.5 seconds to play. The Wasps locked down on defense to stymie a Coker last-gasp three-point attempt and escape Hartsville with the dramatic 78-77 victory.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Looney had a team-high 15 points, eight boards, three steals and an assist. Drummer posted a career-high 14 points, two rebounds, two blocks and an assist.
- Sophomore guard Jalen Leftwich (Lynchburg, Va.) contributed 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal in the win.
Coker Individual Leaders
- Jordan Jones led the Cobras with 17 points, six assists, five steals and three rebounds while Tate Mulkey had 15 points, two assists and a rebound.
- Zavier Measmer had 14 points, four helpers, two rebounds and a steal.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 49.1 percent (26-for-53) from the field while Coker made 29-of-57 (50.9%) of their shots. The Wasps knocked down just four shots (26.7%) from the three-point arc, compared to ten (38.5%) for the Cobras.
- E&H outrebounded the home team by a 35-28 margin and outscored Coker 44-36 in the paint.
- The Wasps used the free-throw line to their advantage, making 22-of-33 (66.7%) attempts. The Cobras only converted 9-of-17 (52.9%) shots from the charity stripe.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry returns home on Wednesday for a showdown with SAC opponent Tusculum University. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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