Junior Jonathan Terry scored 14 of his team-high 21 points in the second half in sparking the Emory men's basketball team to a thrilling Super Bowl Sunday victory over Washington University. The Eagles won their sixth straight game and improved their overall record to 15-5, 8-1 in the University Athletic Association, after registering a 74-73 triumph over the Bears.
Terry closed out the final 20 minutes of action by converting five-of-seven field goals, including three three-point field goals. Terry made a huge impact during a two-minute stretch late in the game, accounting for all of Emory's points during a 9-2 spurt that turned a one-point Wash U lead to a six-point Emory advantage with 3:32 remaining. Terry started his run with a four-point play, followed by a triple and then a bucket. The Bears crept back to within one point with 1:45 left, but a clutch three pointer by senior Will Trawick pushed Emory to a four-point lead at 72-68. A basket by WU's Kevin Kucera sliced Emory's lead in half with 58 seconds left. After an Emory miss from the floor, WU had a chance to knot the score, but missed a pair of free throws with nine seconds remaining. Adam Gigax grabbed the miss and then was fouled, whereupon he calmly sank two free throws, enabling the Eagles to go up 74-70 with just seven ticks left. Kucera kept WU's hopes alive when he knocked down a trey, his fifth of the game, with three seconds remaining. After Emory missed the front end of a one-and-one, a last-ditch three-point attempt by the Bears missed its mark.
Terry, ended the afternoon, seven-of-13 from the floor in registering his 11th double-figure scoring performance of the season and second of 20 or more points. Senior Davis Rao chipped in 15 points, making five field goals in 11 opportunities, including three treys. Trawick contributed 14 points while junior Austin DaGue rounded out the team's double-figure scorers with 10 points. Sophomore Whit Rapp directed the Eagles' offense to the tune of 11 assists, his fifth double-digit total of the campaign.
The game featured a total of 13 lead changes, seven in the second half.
NOTE: The 2016 Super Bowl saw the Denver Broncos top the Carolina Panthers, 24-10.