The Emory men's basketball team suffered its second straight setback Wednesday evening, coming out on the short end of a road game at the University of the South. The Tigers of Sewanee raised their record to 7-0 following an 83-70 decision over the No. 23 Eagles who slipped to 4-2.
The second half proved pivotal in the outcome with Sewanee outscoring Emory by a 42-25 count, hitting 54.1 percent (13-of-24) of its field goal opportunities and 13-of-15 free throws, while the Eagles converted just 28.1 percent (9-of-32) from the floor, including 23 percent from three-point range.
Sophomore Romin Williams led Emory with 16 points while classmates Lawrence Rowley and Matt Schner each totaled a dozen.
The Tigers erased a four-point halftime deficit by starting out the second half on a 10-1 spurt that gave them a 51-46 edge with 17:34 remaining in the game. A bucket by sophomore Matt Schner kept the Eagles within four points, but back-to-back three-point field goals in a 39-second span by Luke Smith pushed Sewanee to a 68-58 advantage with 8:00 on the clock. Smith would top all scorers with 27 points. A bucket by sophomore Lawrence Rowley cut Emory's deficit to eight points but the Eagles could only convert one field goal, a three-pointer by Matt Davet, over a five-minute stretch while the Tigers went on a decisive 13-3 run to build a commanding 81-63 lead with just under two minutes remaining.
For the game, Emory was successful on 41.8 percent (28-of-67) of its field goal attempts, including 29.4 percent (7-of-24) from beyond the arc. Sewanee registered a 47.5 percent effort (28-of-59) from the field and drained 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from distance. The Tigers held a decided edge at the foul line, hitting 17-of-21 compared to Emory's seven-of-14. With Rowely and Schner tying for game honors with nine rebounds, the Eagles closed out with a 41-34 edge on the glass.
Emory trailed by a 32-25 margin with seven minutes left in the first half before wrapping up the stanza on a 20-9 blitz that put it ahead by a 45-41 margin. Rowley scored eight points during that run while Williams hit a couple of treys. The Eagles shot 54.3 percent (19-of-35) from the field in the first half with Sewanee converting 42.9 percent (15-of-35).
Emory returns to action on Saturday afternoon when it hosts Trinity (Tex.) in the first of a five-game home stand.
Emory Men's Basketball Tripped Up At Sewanee
Posted: Nov 28, 2018