EMORY, Va. – It took all 40 minutes of gameplay Wednesday evening, but the Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (4-10, 2-8 SAC) utilized a last-second jumper to defeat Tusculum University (3-11, 3-7 SAC) in South Atlantic Conference action. Junior guard Omari Curley (Prince George, Va.) knocked down a corner jump shot with just 0.7 seconds remaining to clinch the 65-63 victory.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – Emory & Henry 65, Tusculum 63
LOCATION – Emory, Virginia
VENUE – Bob Johnson Court at the John Rutledge King Center
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (4-10, 2-8 SAC); Tusculum (3-11, 3-7 SAC)
How It Happened
- Both teams struggled to find their shooting form early in the contest and the visiting Pioneers clung to a narrow 7-6 lead with 12:37 to play in the opening half. A quick 12-2 spurt over the following three minutes saw Tusculum increase its advantage out to 19-8. The Wasps battled back through the middle of the frame and a putback from Curley decreased the deficit to five at 25-20 at the 4:28 mark. Both squads traded buckets down the home stretch of the first stanza and a pair of made layups by the Pioneers gave them the 39-32 lead at the half.
- E&H came out firing to begin the second half as the Wasps went on a 20-5 run, capped off with a three from freshman forward Draven Pilson (Winston-Salem, N.C.), to take an eight-point lead at 52-44 with just under 12 minutes remaining. The Pioneers sliced the lead to just three at 52-49, but once more E&H had an answer, pushing their advantage out to its largest of the game at 60-49 with 7:19 to play. The Wasps held a 63-54 margin with three minutes left, but Tusculum would not go quietly as they rallied for nine straight points to tie things up at 63-63 with just 27 seconds on the clock. E&H held the ball with the shot clock no longer a factor and the Pioneers committed their final foul to give with just under three ticks to play. Sophomore guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) executed an out-of-bounds play perfectly as he found Curley in the corner. Curley rose above the Pioneer defenders and buried the shot to give the Wasps the 65-63 lead. Tusculum could not get off a final attempt and Emory & Henry earned the win in dramatic fashion.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Pilson led the way for the Wasps as he finished with 18 points, four rebounds and a block. Senior guard/forward Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.) added 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and a blocked shot.
- Curley posted 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block while junior forward Assad Madassalia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) contributed eight pounds, eight boards, five blocks, two assists and a steal in the win.
Tusculum Individual Leaders
- Taj Kimber had a game-high 25 points and a pair of rebounds off of the bench for the Pioneers. Bryce Jackson chipped in with 12 points, six rebounds, one blocked shot, one assist and a steal.
- Malachi Hale recorded 10 points, four rebounds and an assist. Denaj Kimber registered five points, two rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
A Deeper Look
- The Wasps shot 44.1% (26-for-59) from the field while hitting just five shots (21.7%) from beyond the three-point arc. Tusculum finished 24-for-66 (36.4%) from the field and made nine shots (39.1%) from distance.
- The Pioneers outrebounded the Wasps by a small 40-37 margin and converted those rebounds into 14 second-chance points compared to 10 for the home team.
- E&H forced the ball inside as they outscored Tusculum by a massive 36-18 margin.
- Emory & Henry converted on eight of its nine trips to the free throw line (88.9%) while TU made six of their nine shots from the charity stripe (66.7%).
Up Next
- Emory & Henry hits the road this Saturday, January 11 when they travel to Gaffney, South Carolina to take on the Saints of Limestone University. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. as the nightcap of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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