Not much went the Runnin Royals’ way Saturday afternoon in a 77-57 ODAC loss at home against Emory & Henry. The basketball men shot a season-low 31.7% in their worst loss of the year.
Eastern Mennonite falls to 6-8 with their fourth straight defeat. The previous three losses had each been by a mere two points. The Royals are also 1-5 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. They travel to Randolph-Macon (7-8 / 3-3 ODAC) on Wednesday.
Emory & Henry (9-6 / 3-3 ODAC) jumped to a 7-0 lead with three quick buckets. The Royals, meanwhile, started with a missed shot and two turnovers.
The Wasps’ cushion swelled to 17-5 just 7:11 in and the men could never get any momentum after that. EHC led 42-24 at halftime.
RaShawn Latimer (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) and Sammy Thomas (Owings, Md./Northern) combined to help the Royals score the first six points of the second half, getting the Royals within 12 points. But Emory & Henry responded with back-to-back scores in what became the pattern of the final 20 minutes.
The men got with 11 twice, but every time they seemed on the verge of a run, EHC got momentum back to keep the door closed.
Neither team shot very well, 40% to 32% in favor of the Wasps, but the visitors commanded their edge with 21 offensive rebounds and a 60-38 domination of the glass. Eastern Mennonite made just three triples, and was thwarted inside by EHC’s six blocks.
Latimer was the only Royal in double figures with 15 points. Thomas had nine points and eight rebounds while Travis Clower(Romney, W.V./Hampshire) added seven points and three assists off the bench. Jerome Jones (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) had seven rebounds.
Guard Myles Turner led Emory & Henry with 19 points. The rest of action came from the big men, spearheaded by 13 points and eight rebounds from John Shelor.
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