GRANTHAM, PA --- Just as Coach Kirby Dean predicted in the preseason, the EMU basketball men are getting experience with the "survive and move on" mentality. The Runnin Royals shot just 36% from the floor and coughed up a 12-point second-half lead, but got the "W" they needed when guard James Williams (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) hit the game-winning bucket with 0.4 seconds left in a 65-64 decision over DeSales.
Eastern Mennonite advances to the championship game of the TownePlace Suites Tip-Off Tournament, hosted by Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. The win over the NCAA-participant Bulldogs matches up EMU with tourney host Messiah in Saturday's title match at 6:00pm. MC beat John Jay 87-75 in the late game Friday night. EMU is playing in the second of their four two-day tourneys or classics this the season.
The Royals got things rolling quickly, jumping to a 10-3 lead just 3:07 into the game. DeSales methodically scored the next seven points and locked up the score at 10-10.
From that point, the teams traded leads until Eastern Mennonite hit a 10-0 run by scoring on four straight possessions to jump back in front, 28-21. The men pushed the edge up to eight, where it stood at halftime, 37-29.
The Runnin Royals scored the first four points of the second for their biggest lead of the night at 41-29, but then they went scoreless for nearly five minutes. The Bulldogs again seized the opportunity and scored 12 unanswered to tie it up again at 41-41.
For the next 10 minutes it was another back-and-forth stretch with neither team leading by more than three points. Finally EMU pushed out to a four-point edge, with a Ryan Yates (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) dunk making it 63-59 with 3:30 to play. That nearly turned into the final tally for the Runnin Royals as DeSales took over the flow of the contest.
Michael Guldin connected on a three-point play with 2:17 to, slicing the lead to one at 63-62. After a missed shot from the Royals, Guldin scored again to put the Bulldogs in front 64-63 with 1:31 remaining.
EMU missed two attempts on their next possession, but a defensive stand gave the men the ball back with 24 seconds left.
Looking for the winning shot, the Royals missed two inside shots in the closing seconds, but each time grabbed the offensive board to keep the suspense building. Williams finally ended the drama by getting a putback in the final second. EMU's guard was fouled on the play and missed the essentially meaningless free throw. The Bulldogs scooped up the rebound and called a timeout, but couldn't get off a shot as time expired.
The Royals were just 24-66 from the floor for 36.4%. DeSales wasn't much better in the defensive game, going 23-59 for 39.0%. Despite being out-rebounded 45-41, EMU made the most of their 16 offensive boards and had a 21-7 edge in second chance points.
Yates topped the men with 11 points, including three triples. David Falk (Madison, Va./Madison County) had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. Williams finished with a game high four assists.
The men got some nice contributions from their deep bench, with RaShawn Latimer (Warrenton, Va./Kettle Run) connecting for 10 points and Isaiah Harris-Winn (Frederick, Md./St. Maria Goretti) charting seven points and five rebounds.
Guldin led all players with 16, while Cody Deal added 10. Travis Bryan had a game high 18 rebounds and led the Bulldogs with three assists and two blocks, both in the final minutes of the game.
EMU is now 3-0 on the young season while DeSales slips to 2-1.