WALTHAM, Mass. - In a game that featured seven ties, 13 lead
changes and several big momentum swings, the visiting Emory
University Eagles saved their best shot for the end, defeating the
15th-ranked Brandeis University Judges, 77-64, in a
University Athletic Association (UAA) contest today.
After trailing, 36-30, at halftime, Brandeis (12-3, 3-2 UAA)
came out of the locker room and outscored Emory (12-4, 4-1 UAA) by
a 25-7 margin over the first 10 minutes of the second half. The
Judges held the Eagles to just two field goals over that span and
took their biggest lead of the contest at 55-45 on a pair of
Tyrone Hughes (Dorchester, Mass./Taft School) free
throws with 9:41 on the clock.
The Brandeis shooters went cold from the field for the rest of
the game, hitting just two of their final 13 shots. Meanwhile,
Emory clawed back into the game by hitting the boards,
outrebounding Brandeis 11-2, forcing four turnovers and clicking
from the field. The Eagles tied the game at 58-58 on a jumper by
senior Dan Curtin (Great Barrington, Mass./Deerfield Acad.) and
reclaimed a 60-58 lead on a pair of Anthony Fernandez (Miami,
Fla./Belen Jesuit) free throws with 3:58 left.
Brandeis answered with a Christian Yemga
(Yaounde, Cameroon/Proctor Acad.) jumper to tie the game again at
60. The biggest hoops of the game came from EU rookie Alex Greven
(Winston Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds), who connected from deep on
each of the Eagles' next two possessions to give the Eagles a 66-60
lead that the Judges were unable to overcome. Emory connected on
11-of-12 free throws down the stretch to keep the hosts at bay.
Brandeis trailed at the half for just the fifth time in 15 games
this season as Emory again clamped down their defense. After the
Judges hit 9-of-15 from the floor over the game's first 10 minutes
to take a 19-16 lead, they hit just two of their final 14. Emory
closed the first half on a 20-11 to take a 36-30 lead into the
locker room.
The Judges had a trio of double-figure scorers. Senior
Terrell Hollins (Springfield,
Mass./Longmeadow) registered his second-straight double-double with
15 points and a game-high with 13 rebounds. He also had a game-high
six assists, one shy of his career-best. Classmate Andre
Roberson (Springfield, Mass./Wilbraham & Monson Acad.)
added 15 points, nine in the second half, and matched his
career-best with eight rebounds. Senior Kenny
Small (Stratford, Conn./Stratford) added 10 points, eight
coming in the first half. The Judges struggled from long range,
connecting on just one 3-pointer and shooting a season-low 5.9
percent (1-for-17).
Emory was paced by Greven's 16 points, 11 of which came in the
final 10 minutes of the contest. He connected on four-of-seven
overall, including three-of-four from downtown, and five-of-six
from the line. Sophomore Austin Claunch (Cypress, Texas/Strake
Jesuit Prep) finished 11 points and a team-high five assists. Three
other Eagles finished with nine points, including Curtin, Fernandez
and senior Chad Hixon (Snellville, Ga./Berkmar). Hixon also led
Emory with nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
After getting outrebounded, 20-11, in the first half, the Eagles
were able to win the battle of the boards in the second half,
16-11. They also committed just 10 turnovers for the game, 9.5
fewer than Brandeis's season-average for turnovers forced this
season and just the fourth time this season the Judges had more
miscues (13) than their opponents. With the win, Emory snaps a
12-game losing streak against Brandeis, dating to the 2003-04
season.
Brandeis returns to Red Auerbach Arena next Friday for another
UAA contest at 8:00 p.m. against Case Western Reserve University,
while Emory plays host the University of Chicago at the same time.
BOX
SCORE
