HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker University Men's Basketball Team (12-10, 8-6 SAC) completed the season sweep of Emory & Henry College (5-18, 2-13 SAC) with a 113-103 South Atlantic Conference victory Saturday afternoon. The Cobras had five different players in double digits scoring and saw Andre Leavell break the program's single-game scoring record with 42 points.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Coker 113, Emory & Henry 103
LOCATION – Hartsville, South Carolina
VENUE – Harris E. & Louise H. DeLoach Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (5-18, 2-13 SAC); Coker (12-10, 8-6 SAC)
How It Happened
- The Cobras were hot out of the gate as they ran out to an early 12-4 advantage through the opening three minutes of play. E&H managed to settle down and a made three-point basket from sophomore forward Marshall Klug (Greensboro, N.C.) trimmed the deficit to 19-16 at the 13:31 mark. Coker pushed its lead out to as many as 13, but once again Emory & Henry clawed back to draw within three on a jumper by junior forward Cade Looney (Grundy, Va.) to make it 38-35. The two teams continued to push the pace with defensive stops coming few and far between. Freshman guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) drained a shot from behind the three-point arc just before the half to run the score to a narrow 51-50 lead for the Cobras heading into the locker room.
- The teams traded baskets to open the second frame and the score stood at 64-60 in favor of Coker at the first second half media timeout. The Cobras increased their lead out to the precipice of double digits on multiple occasions, but the Wasps managed to keep them within reach and a layup from sophomore forward Jacob Dar (Omaha, Neb.) made it a 83-77 game with 8:50 to play. Coker held serve over the following five minutes and entered the final 3:40 with a 95-90 lead. The Wasps took their first lead of the game with two minutes remaining when junior forward Jake Moynihan (Muncie, Ind.) found Klug who drilled another three to give E&H the 98-97 advantage. The Cobras answered back with a 6-0 run to retake the lead 103-98 with 56 seconds left. Coker made its free throws down the stretch to take the win by a 113-103 margin.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Dar led the Wasps offensively with his third double-double in the last four games. He finished with 22 points, a career-high 16 rebounds, four blocks and a pair of assists. Junior guard Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.) added 16 points, three rebounds, two steals and an assist while junior guard Jalen Leftwich (Lynchburg, Va.) posted 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists and a steal.
- Moynihan contributed 17 points, three boards, three helpers, one steal and a blocked shot. Looney, Klug and Crawford all had ten points for the Wasps in the loss.
Coker Individual Leaders
- Leavell finished his record-breaking afternoon with 42 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds and four steals. Mahmoud Bangura had 17 points and six rebounds off of the bench while Hayden Abdullah chipped in with 17 points, three rebounds, three blocks and a steal.
- Tate Mulkey and Demar Anderson each finished with 15 points for the Cobras.
A Deeper Look
- Emory & Henry shot 51.4 percent (38-for-74) for the game with seven made three-pointers (31.8%). The Wasps went 20-for-29 (69.0%) at the free throw line.
- Coker converted 36-of-73 (49.3%) of its field goal attempts, connecting on 11 triples for 40.7% from behind the three-point stripe. The Cobras knocked down 88.2 percent (30-of-34) of their free throws.
- The Wasps outrebounded the Cobras by a 46-35 margin, including a 19-12 advantage on the offensive glass. E&H converted those opportunities into 24 second chance points compared to 11 for Coker.
- CU forced 16 E&H turnovers which it utilized for 17 points, while the Wasps only managed to force nine miscues for nine points.
- Coker used the fast-paced game to its advantage, outscoring Emory & Henry by a dominant 46-13 margin on the fast break.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry wraps up its three-game road trip on Saturday, February 17 when the Wasps travel to Gaffney, S.C. to take on the Saints of Limestone University. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.
--E&H--