Emory Pulls Away Late to Top Rochester for UAA Title

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ATLANTA – Five players contributed to a clutch 16-3 scoring run down the stretch as Emory University took charge against the University of Rochester to post a 92-82 victory at the Woodruff Physical Education Center on Saturday afternoon.
 
The win gives Emory the University Athletic Association championship – its sixth – and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Emory is 20-5 overall, 11-3 in the UAA. Rochester is 20-5 as well, 10-4 in the UAA. The Yellowjackets split the season series with the Eagles, each team winning on its own court (UR 87-76 in Rochester in January).
 
Bids to the NCAA Division III playoffs will be announced on Monday afternoon (1:30 pm EST). Rochester is hoping to secure one of 21 at-large invitations to the tournament. Emory has one of 43 automatic bids. Most playoff spots are being determined by league tournaments. The UAA is the only Division III conference that does not stage a post-season tournament. Its champion is based on regular season play.
 
Lawrence Rowley led Emory with 19 points and four rebounds. Nick Stuck had 15 points and six assists. Matthew Schner scored 15 points. Matt Davet had 13 points and eight rebounds. Gebereal Baitey scored 11 points with seven boards.
 
Rochester's scoring leader was Ryan Clamage. He had 25 points and nine rebounds. Brendan O'Shea scored 14 points with four rebounds and four assists. Patrick Benka scored 12 points and Andrew Lundstrom had 11. Point guard Jacob Wittig scored 10 points and accumulated five assists. Witt's 10th point, scored on a layup with less than 20 seconds to play, was his 1,000th career point. He is the 31st Rochester men's player to reach 1,000 points in 118 years. He is the second UR player to reach it this season. Clamage scored his 1,000th point two weeks ago against Washington-St. Louis. 
 
Emory used its up-tempo offense to eventually pull ahead by 11 in the first half, 32-21 with five minutes left. Rochester outscored Emory 11-3 over three minutes to close within 35-32 on a Clamage layup with 1:52 left. Baitey scored in the lane and Stuck drained a long three pointer from the top of the key just before halftime for a 40-32 lead.
 
O'Shea scored five points and Lundstrom had four in the first three minutes of the second half. Lundstrom's layup drew UR within 42-41.  It remained tight. The Yellowjackets finally squeezed in front for the first time since early in the first half on a three-pointer from the corner by Benka (50-49). Stuck scored on a fast break layup for a 52-51 Emory lead.
 
That ignited a flurry of three ties and 10 lead changes over six minutes. Benka's drive put Rochester ahead, 69-68. Stuck scored off a fast-break and nine straight Emory points (77-69 with 5:40 left). O'Shea sank a three from the left corner to disrupt the run but Emory scored seven more in the next two minutes to restore the lead to 84-72. Stuck and Baitey had four points each in the game-decisive run.
 
Rochester's offense had a better sync to it in the second half. The Yellowjackets shot 19 of 36 from the floor (53%) after hitting 38% in the first 20 minutes (14-37). For the game, UR shot 45% overall. Emory hit .483 for the game (29-60), 52% after halftime (15-29). Emory was 27 of 33 from the foul line as Rochester was whistled for 26 fouls. The Eagles committed 15 personals leading to 16 Rochester free throws.