The No. 22 ranked Emory men's basketball team fell to the No. 2 Case Western Reserve Spartans 90-86 at home Friday night. With the loss, the Eagles fall to 1-3 in conference play and 10-5 overall.
Sophomore guards Jair Knight and Ben Pearce each scored 23 points, but it wasn't enough to combat a flurry of three-point shots from the Spartans. Junior forward Logan Shanahan recorded his fifth double-double on the season, putting up 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the loss. Case Western Reserve's Sam Trunley knocked down eight three-pointers on a 33-point night to lead the Spartans over the Eagles.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 9-5 lead, with Pearce knocking down a three to take the Eagles' largest lead of the ballgame. However, the Spartans came storming back to keep the game level until halfway through the first period. Trunley knocked down three three-point shots in the span of four possessions to take a 37-25 lead with just over seven minutes left in the first half. Trunley finished the half with 23 points, shooting 6-7 from beyond the arc.
Knight did his best to claw back before the half expired, knocking down a three-point shot before sending home a highlight reel alley-oop from Pearce to get the crowd on its feet. The Spartans knocked down a few more shots down the stretch and went into the break leading the Eagles 48-37.
The Eagles came out of the break hot, going on a 13-6 run to start the second half, with Knight scoring nine points in the opening four minutes of the frame. When the Eagles needed a pair of big shots, the Eagles turned to freshman Ethan Fauss. The rookie knocked down a couple of three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to bring the Eagles within 1 at 58-59. Yet, the Spartans answered with a 10-0 run of their own to put the Eagles back in a hole.
Emory responded with a run of their own, with Knight throwing down yet another posterizing dunk to bring the Eagles within six. With a bit of momentum on its side, Emory eventually pulled within two points as Fauss converted a layup, then knocking down a free-throw on the next possession.
Yet, Trunley and graduate student Anthony Mazzeo continued to knock down shots for the Spartans when they needed them. Mazzeo hit a jump shot with a hand in his face with less than 30 seconds left in the game, forcing the Eagles to foul, essentially putting the game away. Mazzeo finished the day with 25 points and five assists.
Despite the loss, all five Emory starters finished the day with double-digit points, with junior Cale Martens and Fauss posting 11 points apiece.
The Eagles will have a quick turnaround after the loss, with Carnegie Mellon set to visit the Woodruff P.E. Center on Sunday. The game against the Tartans will tip off at 12:00 PM.