WINGATE, N.C. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (3-8, 1-6 SAC) fell in South Atlantic Conference play to Wingate University (4-4, 4-3 SAC) Wednesday afternoon. The Wasps jumped out to a 47-41 advantage at the half, but a second half surge from the Bulldogs saw them earn the win by a 93-86 final score.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Wingate 93, Emory & Henry 86
LOCATION – Wingate, North Carolina
VENUE – Cuddy Arena
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (3-8, 1-6 SAC); Wingate (4-4, 4-3 SAC)
How It Happened
- The home team was first out of the blocks as they established a 13-8 lead at the first media timeout of the contest. A quick 7-0 run out of the break saw the Wasps take their first lead of the afternoon at 15-13 at the 14:05 mark. Wingate responded through the middle of the half as they retook the lead and saw their advantage increase to as many as seven at 32-25 with 7:23 remaining in the opening stanza. Another run from the visitors, this one of the 12-5 variety, was capped off by a made three from freshman guard Sam Ritchie (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) to knot things up at 37-37 heading down the stretch of the half. The Bulldogs held a slim 41-39 lead with 1:22 to play, but the Wasps finished the frame with a flurry as freshmen Draven Pilson (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Korbin Dixon (Milton, Ontario, CANADA) each knocked down a shot from distance and sophomore guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) made a pair of free throws to give the visitors from Emory the 47-41 margin at the halftime break.
- The Bulldogs flipped the script to begin the second half as they began on an 11-4 streak to retake the lead once more at 52-51 with 15:09 on the clock. The two squads traded blows through the middle stages of the half and Wingate clung to a 65-63 margin with just under 10 minutes left. The Bulldogs created breathing room over the following four and a half minutes of play as they went on a 15-2 run to give them their largest lead of the game at 80-65. The Wasps managed to reduce the deficit back to single digits, but it was not enough as the home team took the 93-86 win.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Pilson paced the offensive attack for E&H as he posted his third consecutive and fifth overall game with 20 or more points. He finished with 22 points, six rebounds and an assist while Crawford added 15 points and three assists. Senior guard/forward Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.) contributed 12 points and five rebounds.
- Dixon posted eight points and a pair of boards while junior guard Omari Curley (Prince George, Va.) had seven points, five assists and three rebounds. Junior forward Assad Madassalia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded a game-high eight rebounds, five points, three assists, two blocked shots and a steal.
Wingate Individual Leaders
- Jordan Miller led the Bulldogs with 22 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds. Jaden Lingo had 20 points, two assists, one steal and a block while Kendall Taylor added 10 points, four assists and a pair of rebounds.
- Matty Foor finished with 10 points, five rebounds and two assists off of the bench. Aaron Hall registered nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks in the win.
A Deeper Look
- The Wasps finished 31-for-55 (56.4%) from the field and knocked down 10 shots (50.0%) from beyond the three-point arc. Wingate shot 53.4% (31-for-58) overall and went 12-for-23 (52.2%) from distance.
- Emory & Henry held a 31-27 advantage on the glass and outscored the Bulldogs by a big 42-26 margin in the painted area.
- Wingate forced 16 turnovers while only committing eight, and converted those miscues into 20 points while the Wasps could manage just 11 points off of the Bulldogs' mistakes.
- The contest was a game of runs that involved 16 lead changes and was tied on eight separate occasions.
Up Next
- The Wasps hit the road one more time before the Christmas break as they travel to the Palmetto State on Saturday, December 21 to take on the Wolves of Newberry College. Tip is scheduled for noon from Newberry, South Carolina.
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