Emory University sophomore Alex Geven led all players with a career-high 31 points while freshman Jake Davis came off the bench to add 18 points in helping the Eagles to an 88-82 triumph over Methodist University Saturday afternoon at the Woodruff PE Center.  The win upped Emory's overall mark to 6-0, the first such start by the program since the 2002-03 campaign, while the Monarchs fell to 0-6.

Greven, who scored 17 of his game total in the second half of action, finished the afternoon sinking 12-of-24 field goal opportunities, including three three-point field goals en route to his fifth double-figure scoring performance of the campaign. Davis was solid off the bench, converting seven-of-14 from the floor and four-of-five from the charity stripe, in notching his second straight and third double-digit scoring effort of the year.  Junior guard Austin Claunch registered 17 points along with eight assists and four steals in the win.  Claunch tied a school record in free throw percentage, successfully converting all 12 of his opportunities

Emory, which never trailed in the contest, shot 40.3 percent from the field (27-of-67) while the visitors connected on 47.7 percent including 45.0 percent (9-of-20) from beyond the arc.  The Monarchs finished with a slim 41-40 edge in rebounding, however they turned the ball over on 27 occasions which resulted in 29 Emory points.  The Eagles sank 26-of-32 from the foul line, 21-of-24 during the second half of play. 

Behind 14 points from Greven and nine from Davis, Emory took a 37-30 edge into halftime, leading by as many as 12 points during the first stanza. 

A three-point play by Davis early in the second half upped the Eagles' lead to nine points, 47-38, before seven unanswered points by Methodist cut Emory's advantage to a pair.  Emory responded with its own 7-0 burst, capped by a trey by Geven, to re-take a nine-point margin with 10:52 remaining.  A three-pointer by Claunch pushed the score to 67-57 with Gulotta adding another triple that gave the home team a 72-61 cushion with 5:11 left on the clock.  A pair of foul shots by Claunch, who scored eight of the team's final 12 points, with 50 ticks left made the score 82-73 in Emory's favor, but Methodist staged a late 9-2 sprint, the final two coming on foul shots after technical foul was called on the Emory, that drew it to within 84-82 with 14 seconds remaining.  However, a pair of clutch foul shots by Greven, followed by his layup, closed out the contest's scoring.

Emory returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 7, when it plays at Covenant College.

NOTES – Greven's 31 points marks the first time that an Emory player scored 30 or more points since Dec. 15, 2007, when Spiros Ferderigos lit up Oglethorpe for 32 in a 106-89 victory … Alex Gulotta sank three three-point field goals and now has treys to his credit in his last 18 outings, tying the seventh-longest streak in school history …  After missing his first three throw attempt of the year against Oglethorpe (Nov. 17), Claunch has converted 27 consecutive from the charity stripe and is 27-of-28 on the year … Claunch's 27 straight makes is the fifth-longest streak in school history, and he owns that record with 38 consecutive … Emory recorded a season-high 15 steals today, the most by an Eagle team since a 16-theft performance against LaGrange on Nov. 25, 2007.