HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Emory & Henry University Men's Basketball Team (4-14, 2-12 SAC) hung tough for a half against No. 6 nationally-ranked Lincoln Memorial University (14-2, 12-1 SAC), but the Railsplitters eventually pulled away for a South Atlantic Conference win Wednesday evening. LMU scored 43 second-half points on its way to the 81-55 victory.
The Basics
FINAL SCORE – No. 6 Lincoln Memorial 81, Emory & Henry 55
LOCATION – Harrogate, Tennessee
VENUE – B. Frank "Tex" Turner Arena
RECORDS – Emory & Henry (4-14, 2-12 SAC); Lincoln Memorial (14-2, 12-1 SAC)
How It Happened
- It was a defensive struggle to begin the game as the Wasps held the Railsplitters to just five points through the opening six minutes and held a narrow 9-5 lead. A 20-5 run from the home team over the following six minutes of play saw them jump ahead 25-14 with just under nine minutes remaining in the half. The Wasps responded with an 11-6 run of their own, capped off with a three from senior guard/forward Gabe Brown (Clintwood, Va.) to reduce the deficit back to single digits as the teams came down the stretch of the opening stanza. Both squads traded buckets and a layup from sophomore guard Jackson Crawford (Daleville, Va.) made the score 38-30 heading into the locker room at the half.
- The Railsplitters began the second half with hot shooting from the field as they ripped off a 16-5 run to balloon their lead out to 19. A three by senior guard Jalen Leftwich (Lynchburg, Va.) and back-to-back buckets from freshman guard Sam Ritchie (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) pulled the Wasps back within 11 with 10:07 on the clock. That was as close as the visitors from Emory would get however, as LMU saw their lead increase to as many as 29 en route to the 81-55 victory.
Emory & Henry Individual Leaders
- Crawford led the Wasps offensively with a team-high 16 points, seven assists, three steals and three rebounds. Brown added nine points and three rebounds while Leftwich finished with eight points, three assists and a steal.
- Junior forward Assad Madassalia (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was 3-for-3 from the floor and added a pair of blocks to increase his SAC-leading totals in both field goal percentage (77.1%) and total blocked shots (53). Madassalia also contributed five rebounds and an assist.
Lincoln Memorial Individual Leaders
- Wes Enis paced LMU with a game-high 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal while Elyjah Freeman recorded 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block.
- Thomas Allard posted 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Osmar Garcia-Araujo went for 11 points, three rebounds, two assists, one block and a steal in the win.
A Deeper Look
- LMU shot 57.1% (28-for-49) from the floor and 8-for-18 (44.4%) from beyond the three-point arc. The Wasps finished shooting 22-for-57 (38.6%) overall while converting 35.7% (10-for-28) of their long-range attempts.
- The Railsplitters held a massive advantage at the free throw line as they knocked down 17 of their 19 attempts (89.5%) while E&H made one of their two lone visits (50.0%) to the charity stripe.
- Lincoln Memorial outrebounded Emory & Henry by a 31-20 margin and assisted on 18 of their made buckets while the Wasps managed just 12 helpers.
- LMU forced the ball inside, outscoring E&H 40-22 in the paint.
Up Next
- Emory & Henry returns home this Saturday, January 25 to take on the Wolves of Newberry College. Tip is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.
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