The Eastern Mennonite men's basketball team was in Lynchburg Saturday afternoon for an important matchup with surprising Randolph. After finishing ninth in the conference last season, the WildCats entered the game with a 11-4 record including 5-2 in the ODAC. The Runnin Royals struggled to find an offensive rhythm in the road gym and stumbled to a 64-61 loss.

The defeat is EMU's fourth of the season, all in conference play. More importantly, it drops the men into a three-way tie for fifth place at 4-4.

The Runnin Royals held a small lead early in the first half against Randolph, but the home team jumped ahead and led at halftime, 29-24. The men shot just 30% from the floor in the first 20 minutes.

Eastern Mennonite tied the score at one point in the second. After the WildCats had rebuilt the lead, the Royals trimmed it back down to three when R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, Md./Friendly) put in a lay-up with 6:18 to go, making it 48-45.

But the men missed their next five shots, as well as the front end of a one-and-one, and Randolph scored seven straight to take its biggest lead at 55-45 with 3:22 remaining.

The Runnin Royals couldn't get the lead below five points until a three pointer with one second left produced the final score, 64-61.

EMU finished just 21-64 from the floor in the game for 33%, including 5-21 from three point range. The men struggled from the free throw line as well, going 14-23. Randolph shot 49%.

Despite holding a solid 45-33 advantage in rebounding, Eastern Mennonite wasted a 23-9 edge in offensive boards.

Todd Phillips (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) led all players with 20 points. Eli Crawford (Staunton, Va./R.E. Lee) had 14 points and 12 boards.

Normally boasting a balanced attack, nobody else scored more than seven points for EMU. Guards George Johnson (Richmond, Va./Miller School) and D.J. Hinson (Newport News, Va./Menchville) combined for six points on 2-for-18 shooting.

Colton Hunt led four WildCats in double figures with 17 points. Derrick Woods-Morrow had 14 rebounds and 10 points.

No. 14 Eastern Mennonite falls to 13-4 with the loss. Next on the packed ODAC plate is a huge home date with No. 2 Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The Marlins, 16-1 and 7-1, suffered their first loss Saturday against Guilford.