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Emory sophomore Austin Claunch recorded a game-high 17 points and the Eagles turned in an excellent defensive performance Friday evening as it came up with an impressive win over the University of Chicago.  The Eagles captured their sixth straight win and in the process upped their overall record to 13-4, 5-1 in the University Athletic Association, following a 71-44 triumph over the Maroons who slipped to 9-8 overall, 3-3 in the league.

Claunch sank six-of-nine from the floor, including three-of-four from three-point range, and both of his free throw attempts en route to registering his 13^th double-figure scoring performance of the season.  Claunch's two successful makes from the charity stripe enabled him to establish the school record with 37 straight free throw conversions breaking the previous standard of 35.

As a team, Emory shot 42.9 percent from the floor (24-of-56) while Chicago finished with a mark of 32.7 percent (16-of-49).  The Eagles drained 10-of-24 from three point range (41.7%) compared to UC's 18.2 percent showing (4-of-22).  Emory finished with a slight 35-31 advantage on the glass and was paced in that category by senior Chad Hixon who snagged seven boards while contributing nine points.  The 44 points surrendered by Emory were the fewest allowed by a Jason Zimmerman-coached Emory team.

The Eagles held a 17-13 lead with 12:35 left in the opening stanza before going on a 17-4 splurge over the next seven minutes to go ahead by a 34-17 count.  Emory spread the scoring around during the outburst with five players scoring, and sophomore Alex Gulotta, along with seniors Anthony Fernandez and Daniel Curtin, hitting three-pointers.  A trey by Claunch with two ticks on the clock pushed Emory's margin to 39-21 heading into halftime.

Chicago stayed in the game and cut its deficit to 11 points, 49-38, following three-point field goal by Jake Pancratz with 11:42 left in the contest.  However, that was as close as the visitors would get as the Eagles would close out the game outscoring the Maroons by a 22-6 margin, started by an 18-0 run that blew the game wide open at 67-38 with 5:25 on the clock. 

Curtin rounded out the team's double-digit scorers with 13 points.

The Eagles' league record is good for a first-place tie with Sunday's opponent, two-time defending national champion Washington University.  Action at the Woodruff PE Center on the Emory campus is at noon.