EMORY, Va. – The Emory & Henry College Men's Basketball Team (2-5, 0-1 SAC) fell in its South Atlantic Conference opener to Coker University (5-3, 1-0 SAC) on Saturday afternoon. The Cobras finished with six different players scoring in double figures en route to defeating the Wasps by a 114-103 final score.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Coker 114, Emory & Henry 103
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Bob Johnson Court at the John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (2-5, 0-1 SAC); Coker (5-3, 1-0 SAC)
How It Happened
- The teams went back and forth to start the game and E&H held onto an 11-7 lead at the first media timeout. The Cobras clawed back through the following four minutes to jump ahead 28-25 with 10:16 remaining in the opening half. Coker went on a 10-0 run over the next 2:41 to extend its lead to double digits at 38-25. The visitors maintained their advantage throughout the half and went into the halftime break with a 62-51 margin.
- The Cobras continued to push to begin the second frame and saw their lead balloon to 16 at 75-59 with 16:55 to play. The Wasps slowly chipped away at the deficit and a made three-point basket from junior guard Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.) cut the margin to just six at 81-75. E&H could not find an answer defensively and the Cobras had a response for every Wasps' run. The Cobras held on and picked up their first SAC win of the season by the 114-103 scoreline.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Brown led the offensive effort for E&H with a game-high 28 points, four rebounds, four blocked shots and a steal. Junior forward Jake Moynihan (Muncie, Ind.) added 17 points, nine boards, a pair of assists and a block while sophomore forward Marshall Klug (Greensboro, N.C.) finished with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal off of the bench.
- Junior guard Jalen Leftwich (Lynchburg, Va.) posted 12 points and a team-high six assists. Junior forward Cade Looney (Grundy, Va.) chipped in with 14 points, five rebounds, a pair of helpers and a steal.
Coker Individual Leaders
- Andre Leavell paced the Cobras with 25 points, four rebounds, one assist and a steal while Tate Mulkey had 18 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists.
- Mahmoud Bangura finished with 17 points, five boards, one assist and a steal. Demar Anderson contributed 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 55.6 percent (35-for-63) from the field while Coker knocked down 38-of-79 (48.1%) of their shots. The Wasps made six shots (26.1%) from the three-point arc, compared to 15 for the Cobras (40.5%).
- The Wasps outrebounded the Cobras by a narrow 39-38 margin and held a large 58-42 advantage on points in the paint.
- Coker forced 18 E&H turnovers which they converted into 28 points while the Wasps forced just eight miscues and posted 12 points off of those mistakes.
- Both teams visited the charity stripe frequently, as the Wasps went 27-for-32 (84.4%) while the Cobras were 23-for-33 (69.7%).
Up Next
- Emory & Henry makes the trip to Hickory, North Carolina next Saturday, December 9 to take on the Bears of Lenoir-Rhyne University. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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