ASHLAND, VA --- Despite scoring the first bucket of the game, the EMU men couldn't contain a determined Randolph-Macon squad on the road Saturday afternoon, falling 85-71 to the Yellow Jackets.

R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, MD/Friendly) scored the game's first points 1:11 in, but R-MC scored the next six.  In the next five minutes, the Yellow Jackets zipped to a 19-8 lead and never looked back.  The Royals got within eight points, but trailed 46-29 at halftime.

Eastern Mennonite made a few small runs, but could get no closer than 12 points in the second before dropping the game to the ODAC's fourth-place team.

Despite holding the rebounding battle even at 39-39 and grabbing 16 offensive boards, the Runnin Royals couldn't make up the shooting disparity.  EMU shot 40% from the floor while the host Yellow Jackets stung away at 53%.

Sims and Andrew Thorne (Front Royal, VA/Skyline) led the way, with Sims charting 15 points and six rebounds while Thorne had 14 and six.

David Falk (Madison, VA/Madison) nearly had a double double, going for 11 points and nine rebounds off the bench.  Ryan Yates (Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams) also had 11 tallies.

Andre Simon (Newport News, VA/Menchville) led four R-MC men in double figures with 20 points.  Lamar Giggetts (Fredericksburg, VA/Courtland) added 15 points.

The loss drops EMU to 13-10 overall and 6-8 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.  They have two home games to finish the regular season, hosting rival Bridgewater on Wednesday followed by Roanoke on Saturday.

A lot is riding on both games as the Runnin Royals fight to get a home game in the First Round of the ODAC Tournament.  EMU is tied with Washington and Lee for eighth place in the league standings, just one game behind Bridgewater.  Seeds five through eight will host a game on Tuesday, Feb. 19.