Sophomore Lawrence Rowley led four double-figure scorers with a career-high 28 points in sparking the Emory men's basketball team to a Friday evening win at home over Case Western Reserve. The Eagles boosted their record to 11-4, 2-2 in the University Athletic Association, following a 91-74 triumph over the Spartans who dipped to 8-7 in overall play, 1-3 in the league.
Rowley closed out the night sinking 11-of-16 field goal attempts, including three-of-five from three-point range, and all three of his free throw tries in notching his 14th double-figure performance of the season and second of 20 or more points. Rowley totaled 19 second-half points, knocking down seven-of-10 from the floor, which aided in the Eagles outscoring the Spartans by a 46-32 count over the final 20 minutes of action. Sophomore Matt Schner registered his first career double-double, dialing up 15 points and a season-high 12 rebounds, while sophomore Romin Williams compiled his 13th double-figure outing of the season with 15 points. Nick Stuck rounded out the team's double-digit scorers with 13 points, hitting five-of-nine from the floor, including all three of his triple tries.
With Rowely scoring five points, Emory opened the second half on a 13-3 run, allowing it to open a 13-point advantage, 58-45. The Spartans countered by scoring six straight points, cutting their deficit to seven, but Emory senior Gebereal Baitey scored the game's next five points, putting the Eagles up by a 63-51 count with 13:00 left on the clock. After a three-pointer by the Spartans, Rowley nailed a three-pointer and then converted a layup that pushed Emory ahead, 68-54. CWRU got to within nine points on two occasions, the final time with 5:50 remaining, but a three-pointer by Stuck followed by a Rowley basket gave the Eagles an 84-70 cushion with 4:45 left. Emory shot 50 percent (15-of-30) in the second half and was successful on 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from beyond the arc. The Spartans converted 40.7 percent (11-of-27) of their field goal attempts but struggled from distance, making 26.7 percent (4-of-15).
Case Western couldn't have asked for a better start to the game, knocking down its first seven field goal attempts, including four treys, in racing to an 18-7 lead just four minutes into the contest. Emory regrouped and answered with an 11-0 blitz, the first five points coming from Stuck, knotting the score at 18-18. The Eagles eventually took the lead with 11:06 left in the stanza following a tip-in by senior Beau Bommarito. Six straight points by Williams, capped by a three-pointer, extended a one-point Emory lead to seven, 35-28, with 5:46 left, before another triple by Williams finished off a 6-0 spurt, that pushed the home squad to a 45-36 cushion with 3:03 remaining. The Spartans closed out the final 2:10 of the half on a 6-0 run that narrowed its deficit to 45-42 heading into the break. Williams and Schner led Emory with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
For the game, Emory connected on 53.1 percent (34-of-64) from the floor, including 50 percent (12-of-24) from three-point range. It represented the fifth time this year that the Eagles had shot 50 percent or better and seventh posting double figures in three pointers. Emory doled out 21 assists with Williams and Schner each registering six and Stuck five.
The Eagles return to action on Sunday afternoon when host Carnegie Mellon (8-7, 3-1 UAA) in a noon tip.