One deadly run late to end the first half proved insurmountable, as the EMU Runnin Royals dropped an 85-75 decision to Emory & Henry Saturday night in Harrisonburg.
EMU’s basketball men drop to 9-12 overall and 4-8 in the ODAC with their fourth straight loss. They head to Washington and Lee (14-7/7-5 ODAC) on Wednesday night.
Emory & Henry (15-6 (8-4 ODAC) scored first against the Royals and never trailed, but the two teams were locked in great game for most of the first half. A layup from Travis Clower (Romney, W.V./Hampshire) had EMU within 25-20 with 6:24 left in the period.
That’s when the turnover bug bit.
Eastern Mennonite committed five miscues in the final minutes of the half and the Wasps swarmed on the free opportunities. The visitors closed the period on a 16-4 run, including 10 points off the turnovers, to blow open a 43-26 margin.
The Runnin Royals settled down after the break, making just six more turnovers over the final 20 minutes. The men attacked the rim and got their offense in gear, shooting 51% from the floor after halftime, including 5-of-9 from outside, but it wasn’t enough.
Emory & Henry effectively matched EMU’s performance, shooting 52% in the frame. The men earned a 49-42 win in the second half, but the 17-point deficit from the first proved too much to overcome.
Coming off the bench, Tim Jones (Forestville, Md./Central) tied his career high with 19 points, including a career high trio of three pointers. Sammy Thomas (Owings, Md./Northern) was a force inside with 18 points and nine rebounds. He had four of EMU’s 12 offensive boards. Clower added three more triples and scored 13.
Daniel Spencer shot 5-of-8 from outside and led Emory & Henry with 33 points, five assists and three steals. Alic Wynn added 18 points and eight rebounds.
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