Feb 12, 2011
HARRISONBURG, VA -- For the Runnin Royals, it was simply a matter of taking care of business. Despite an off-game shooting the ball, the men turned up the defense and forced 33 turnovers en route to an 82-62 win over Emory & Henry Saturday afternoon at home. With the win, Eastern Mennonite moved to 9-4 in the ODAC, putting a firm hold on fourth place.
The Wasps' Terrance Grigg was a problem for the Royals early on, as he scored 13 of E&H's first 15 points and the visitors held a 21-17 lead.
But EMU shut down Grigg and closed the half on a 29-9 run, blowing open a 46-30 cushion at the break.
Despite shooting just 36% from the floor in the game, the men never let the lead get below 13 in the final 20 minutes, cruising to the 20-point win.
Coach Kirby Dean knew his team needs to shoot better, but was happy to get an ODAC victory.
"At this time of year, you're just trying to get a win," he said. "They don't draw a picture of what it should look like, but a win is a win."
The Runnin Royals forced 17 turnovers in the first half and another 16 in the second. Meanwhile, EMU repeatedly got to the foul line and shot well from there, hitting 29-of-37 tosses.
The Wasps shot 44% in the loss, but struggled from the charity stripe, going just 18-35.
Todd Phillips (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) finished with his first double double of the season at 25 points and 11 rebounds. He was 4-7 from long range and had all but one of EMU's three pointers. Phillips also tied for the game high with three steals.
Eli Crawford (Staunton, Va./R.E. Lee) was 5-for-6 from the floor and was good for 15 points and eight rebounds.
Senior George Johnson (Richmond, Va./Miller School) had nine points, a game high five assists and three steals. Marlon Organ (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) added 11 points and three steals.
Grigg led Emory & Henry with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
No. 16 Eastern Mennonite moves to 18-4 with the win and now has a five-game winning streak. At 9-4 in the ODAC, the Royals are just a half game behind Guilford which is 10-4 and in third place in the league. The Wasps fall to 4-19 and 1-13 with the loss.
Next up for EMU is a rescheduled game with No. 6 Virginia Wesleyan on Monday. Game time for the matchup of nationally ranked teams is 7:00pm in Harrisonburg.
The Wasps' Terrance Grigg was a problem for the Royals early on, as he scored 13 of E&H's first 15 points and the visitors held a 21-17 lead.
But EMU shut down Grigg and closed the half on a 29-9 run, blowing open a 46-30 cushion at the break.
Despite shooting just 36% from the floor in the game, the men never let the lead get below 13 in the final 20 minutes, cruising to the 20-point win.
Coach Kirby Dean knew his team needs to shoot better, but was happy to get an ODAC victory.
"At this time of year, you're just trying to get a win," he said. "They don't draw a picture of what it should look like, but a win is a win."
The Runnin Royals forced 17 turnovers in the first half and another 16 in the second. Meanwhile, EMU repeatedly got to the foul line and shot well from there, hitting 29-of-37 tosses.
The Wasps shot 44% in the loss, but struggled from the charity stripe, going just 18-35.
Todd Phillips (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) finished with his first double double of the season at 25 points and 11 rebounds. He was 4-7 from long range and had all but one of EMU's three pointers. Phillips also tied for the game high with three steals.
Eli Crawford (Staunton, Va./R.E. Lee) was 5-for-6 from the floor and was good for 15 points and eight rebounds.
Senior George Johnson (Richmond, Va./Miller School) had nine points, a game high five assists and three steals. Marlon Organ (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) added 11 points and three steals.
Grigg led Emory & Henry with 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
No. 16 Eastern Mennonite moves to 18-4 with the win and now has a five-game winning streak. At 9-4 in the ODAC, the Royals are just a half game behind Guilford which is 10-4 and in third place in the league. The Wasps fall to 4-19 and 1-13 with the loss.
Next up for EMU is a rescheduled game with No. 6 Virginia Wesleyan on Monday. Game time for the matchup of nationally ranked teams is 7:00pm in Harrisonburg.