MARS HILL, N.C. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (3-7, 1-5 SAC) showed its toughness Saturday afternoon as the Wasps picked up their first South Atlantic Conference win of the season, defeating Mars Hill University (4-6, 2-6 SAC) on the road. E&H ran out to a 13-point halftime lead and made clutch free throws down the stretch to defeat the Lions by a 79-73 final score.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 79, Mars Hill 73
LOCATION – Mars Hill, North Carolina
VENUE – Stanford Arena
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (3-7, 1-5 SAC); Mars Hill (4-6, 2-6 SAC)
How It Happened
- The Wasps were the aggressors to begin the game as they jumped out to an early 12-2 lead at the 13:46 mark of the first half. The teams traded baskets through the middle of the half and the score stood at 22-12 in favor of the visitors with 8:29 to play. E&H utilized an 8-3 run over the following three minutes of play to push its advantage out to 30-15. Mars Hill scored the next six points to close the gap back to single digits, but the Wasps ended the half on a 6-0 run of their own, capped off with a three from senior guard/forward Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.), to take the 37-24 lead into the half.
- E&H struggled to find their shooting form to begin the second stanza as the Lions scored the opening seven points to close the deficit to just six at 37-31 with 16:28 to play. The Wasps came to life as they ripped off a massive 13-0 run over the next three minutes to give themselves a healthy 50-31 advantage. E&H had an answer for every MHU bucket and the score was 66-52 coming down the stretch. The Lions would not surrender easily as they battled back with a 12-2 run to reduce the margin to just four at 68-64 with 54 ticks remaining on the clock. MHU resorted to fouling as they attempted to extend the game and force an Emory & Henry mistake at the charity stripe. Sophomore guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) was up to the task as he knocked down six consecutive free throws to keep the Wasps in front 74-68 with 25 seconds left. Brown and freshman forward Draven Pilson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) sealed the deal as they went a combined 5-6 from the line in the deciding moments and the Wasps' defense came up with just enough stops as the visitors from Emory earned the big 79-73 road win.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Brown paced the Wasps offensively as he scored a game-high 22 points while recording eight rebounds, one steal and a blocked shot. Pilson added 20 points, three rebounds and a steal while Crawford stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a steal.
- Junior forward Assad Madassalia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted seven points, eight boards, two steals, two blocks and an assist. Junior guard Omari Curley (Prince George, Va.) went for seven points, four rebounds, one assist and a steal. Freshman guard Korbin Dixon (Milton, Ontario, CANADA) registered seven points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in the win.
Mars Hill Individual Leaders
- Kory Davis had 19 points, three rebounds and an assist off of the bench while Kadyn Dawkins went for 15 points, six assists, five steals and a rebound.
- Donovan McIntosh finished with 13 points, six rebounds and a pair of steals. Marvin Hires had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
A Deeper Look
- The Wasps shot 26-for-58 (44.8%) from the field and 7-for-22 (31.8%) from beyond the three-point arc. MHU finished 41.5% (27-for-65) for the game while going just 4-for-20 (20.0%) from distance.
- E&H cleaned up on the glass as they outrebounded the Lions by a 48-34 margin and held a 12-2 advantage on second-chance points.
- MHU kept the game close as they forced 20 turnovers while committing just 12. The Lions converted those miscues into 22 points, compared to just eight points off of turnovers for the Wasps.
- Emory & Henry pushed the tempo as they held a 21-14 advantage on fastbreak points.
- The Wasps were more effective at the charity stripe as they went 20-for-26 (76.9%) and the Lions shot at just a 60.0% (15-for-25) clip.
Up Next
- E&H hits the road again on Wednesday, December 18 when they travel to take on the Bulldogs of Wingate University. Tip is scheduled for 4:30 as the second half of a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader with the women's team.
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