Sparked by sophomore Matt Davet's career-high 25 points, the Emory men's basketball team made a successful start to the 2018-19 season Sunday evening by earning a win at Piedmont College . The Eagles won the program's ninth season opener in their last 10 tries following a 98-80 verdict over the Lions, raising the school's all-time record in season openers to 22-11.
Davet finished the evening seven-of-13 from the floor, including three-of-seven from beyond the arc, en route to posting his second career performance of 20 or more points. Senior Gebereal Baitey and sophomore Lawrence Rowley each contributed 16 points in the victory, with Rowley's effort a career high. Sophomores Nick Stuck and Matt Schner rounded out the club's double-figure scorers with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Rowley helped the Eagles to a 54-40 bulge in the rebounding department with a career-high 10 boards while senior Beau Bommarito and Davet each chipped in six.
Holding a 54-43 lead early in the second half, the Eagles rattled off nine straight points, ignited by a Davet three-pointer, to assume a 20-point cushion with 14:06 remaining. Emory maintained a 20-point edge at 73-53 with 8:52 on the clock before posting a 12-5 spurt, with Baitey scoring the first five points of that run, to take its largest lead of the evening, 85-58, with just under six minutes remaining. Nine of the 12 players who saw action for Emory found their way into the scoring column while 11 were credited with rebounds.
Emory ended the contest shooting 43.2 percent (38-of-81) from the floor, just a shade better than Piedmont's final mark of 42.2 percent (27-of-64). The Eagles recorded 14 steals, a game-high five by Schner, which helped in recording a 28-14 edge in the points off turnovers category. Emory also enjoyed a decided edge at the foul line, converting 74.1 percent (20-of-27) of its opportunities compared to the Lions' 55.2 percent (16-of-29).
In the first half, Emory used 11 points from Davet and nine from Baitey in compiling a 44-32 edge at the break. The Eagles harassed the Lions into 13 turnovers that they parlayed into 17 points with Schner coming up with four thefts over the opening 20 minutes. Holding a 23-18 lead, Emory went on an 11-5 spurt that was started by a three-point play by Stuck and capped by a triple by Romin Williams, to lay claim to a 34-23 advantage. After PC cut the gap to eight points, the Eagles tallied seven straight points that saw Schner hit a couple of buckets and Davet three charity tossed to surge to a 44-29 cushion with 1:03 left. Piedmont was successful on 43.3 percent (13-of-30) of its field goal attempts while Emory converted 40 percent (16-of-40).
Emory returns to action on Friday (Nov. 16) when it plays Staten Island at Roanoke College's Dick Leftwich Tip-Off Tournament.