Second five leads EMU to 88-73 win over Apprentice

The EMU bench accounted for 55 points as the basketball men rolled over the Apprentice School 88-73 at the Don Glick Classic on Friday. Four of the second unit scored in double figures as Eastern Mennonite improved to 4-3 on the year.

The Runnin Royals play again on Saturday at 2:00pm at the Classic, which is hosted by Bridgewater College, taking on Moravian College.

EMU held a slim 5-4 margin when Coach Kirby Dean made a full line change, putting Kendall Hawkins (Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle), Travis Clower (Romney, W.V./Hampshire), Chad Simmons (Williamsburg, Va./Bruton), Michael Williams (Richmond, Va./Varina) and Josh Good (Luray, Va./Luray) onto the floor. After the men gave up a three for their only deficit of the game, Hawkins hit back-to-back triples to trigger a 10-0 run for a 15-7 lead.

The Builders made a quick 7-0 jab to get back within one point, but the men answered with another 9-0 spurt to go up 24-14. Xavier McCants (Olney, Md./Sherwood) replaced Williams in the point, and that group of five then exploded for another big run, this time a 16-5 surge to establish a 40-24 lead.

Apprentice scored the final eight of the half, however, to get the margin under 10 points at 40-32.

The closest the game got in the second period was six points before EMU took off again. After Hawkins picked out a steal, Good found Clower on the wing for a big three pointer and the biggest lead of the night at 77-54. With 5:38 remaining, the final result was never in doubt from that point.

The Runnin Royals won almost every statistical category to run away with the final score, including a +8 turnover margin and +2 differential on the glass. EMU grabbed a season-high 18 offensive rebounds and hit 11-of-31 three pointers.

Isaiah Harris-Winn (Frederick, Md./St. Maria Goretti) hit four treys and led the team with 16 points. No other starter scored more than six.

McCants had his best effort of the season, going off for 14 points and six rebounds in just 12 minutes on the court. Hawkins put in all 13 of his points in the first half. Simmons and Clower each scored 10, while Clower added five assists. Good also had five helpers to go with six rebounds. Jerome Jones (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) had seven rebounds, including five offensive.

Zach Johnson led the Apprentice School with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Willie Bass added 13 points and nine boards.