The Emory men's basketball team notched two wins this week, defeating Case Western Reserve University (Ohio) 91-74 on Jan. 18 and Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) 116-100 on Jan. 21.
Sophomore forward Lawrence Rowley earned a career-high of 28 points, advancing the Eagles to an impressive 11-4 record.
While Case Western initially held an 11-point lead in the first 4 minutes of the contest, Emory retaliated with an 11-0 run to tie the game at 18 points. As the two teams battled, the Eagles eventually took a 1-point lead with 11:06 remaining before halftime. Once Emory obtained the lead, sophomore guard Romin Williams dropped 6 straight points to extended Emory’s lead to seven. Although the Spartans cut the deficit to 45-42 at halftime, the Eagles opened the second half on a 13-3 run. After torching Case Western in the second half, Emory comfortably won the game, 91-74.
Offensively, the Eagles decimated Case Western by shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three point line. Sophomore guard Matt Schner tallied 15 points and 12 rebounds, earning his first career double-double. As Schner stuffed the stat sheet, Williams dropped 15 points, his 13th double-figure scoring outing of the season. Led by the trio, the Eagles scored 44 points in the paint, dished 21 assists, grabbed 37 rebounds and secured the win.
While Emory had a stellar offensive performance, the Eagles also wreaked havoc on the defensive end. During the game, Case Western committed 15 turnovers, shot 44.8 percent from the field and converted only 35.3 percent of their shots from the three point line.
“Our team is talented offensively, but the coaching staff has done a great job of emphasizing the importance of playing great defense,” sophomore guard Pierre Coffy said. “Getting stops requires our team to be locked in and connected to each other from top to bottom, from individual effort to off-ball positioning, communication and knowing our scout.”
Head Coach Jason Zimmerman was proud of the Eagles teamwork.
“This team trusts each other and cares about each other,” Zimmerman said.
While Zimmerman praised the team, he reaffirmed that the ultimate goal is “to compete for a championship.”
On Jan. 21, the team defeated Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) 116-100. After the win, the Eagles improved to an impressive 12-4 record.
In the opening half, four individual players scored the first 9 points of the game. After building an early lead, the Eagles continued to relentlessly attack CMU, hitting 12 of their first 17 field goal attempts. Later in the first half, the Eagles went on a 14-4 run which pushed the lead to 53-28 with 5:13 left. At halftime, Emory scored a team high 68 points. Although Carnegie Mellon outscored Emory by 10 points in the second half, the Eagles defeated the Tartans 116-100.
The Eagles shot a stellar 52.9 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from the three point line. Additionally, many Eagles exploded for double-figure outings. Specifically, Schner lead the Eagles with a career-high 30 points on 13-15 shooting.
Schner credited his teammates for their tremendous offensive performance.
“Today our point guards really pushed the ball with everyone sprinting the floor alongside them which got us great transition shots,” Schner said. “When we weren’t able to convert with a quick score, hard cuts and good ball movement gave us more open looks. Our team had great offensive flow today and turned down good shots to get great ones. We showed what we are capable of doing offensively when shots are falling and we are connected.”
While Schner exhibited an exceptional performance, his teammates Williams and senior guard Gebereal Baitey tallied 23 and 16 points, respectively. As a team, the Eagles had 27 assists, 21 second-chance points, 52 points in the paint, 25 fast break points and 38 bench points.
Zimmerman noted the team’s ball movement as a key to their success.
“When the ball gets moving, [we] shoot the ball better,” Zimmerman said. “Our guys help each other become good players.”
The Eagles again demonstrated a strong defensive presence. Due to Emory’s defensive pressure, Carnegie Mellon committed 15 turnovers, and the Eagles were able to score 18 points off of those turnovers. Additionally, the Eagles were able to hold CMU to 33.3 percent from the three point line. Although Carnegie Mellon outrebounded Emory 41-38, the Eagles utilized great defensive intensity and capitalize on the Tartans’ shortcomings to win the game.
The Eagles host Brandeis University (Mass.) on Jan. 25 at 8 p.m.
