The No. 16 ranked Emory University men's basketball team saw its six-game winning streak snapped Friday afternoon, falling to in-state rival Berry College, 79-74, in the final game of the Emory Holiday Classic in Atlanta.

Freshman Benjamin Pearce went for a career-high 23 points with classmate Jair Knight joining him in double figures with 16 in 24 minutes off the bench. Knight added career-highs with seven rebounds and five steals and led both teams with six offensive boards.

For the Vikings, Blake Campbell led the team with 19 points in his 30 minutes off the bench while Chase Ellis led the starting group with 16 points. Riley Costas put up a near triple-double with his 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists performance.

The Eagles shot a season-low 30.3% from the field and were 6-for-26 from long range, compared to Berry that shot 40.4% across the 40 minutes and was 9-for-24 from three. The Vikings won the battle of the glass 50-46 while Emory was more aggressive on defense, forcing 21 turnovers but could only convert those thefts to 19 points.

A see-saw first half saw the Vikings lead by a bucket at 36-34 at the break. Berry extended their lead to 47-38 as the Eagles struggled to open the net, not finding their first field goal until the 14:01 mark. The Viking lead grew to as many as 11 at 54-43 before the Eagles cut the deficit to 55-52 with a Pearce three with 6:39 remaining.

Berry's Michael Johnson pushed the lead back to nine at 62-53 with a three of his own at 4:51 but sophomore Cale Martens answered with a three down at the other end. The Vikings were able to keep Emory at bay, moving back in front by double digits and keeping the lead to as many as five until another three from Pearce made it 75-71 with 20 seconds to play.

However, Berry continued to knock down free throws in the final moments, converting all four attempts to make it 79-71 prior to one more Pearce three right before the final horn provided the final margin.

The Eagles will ring in the New Year Monday afternoon as they welcome crosstown rival Oglethorpe University to the WoodPEC for a 4:00 PM tip off.