From Emory University Athletics

Seniors Alex Foster and Michael Florin combined for 37 points in sparking the Emory men's basketball team to a key road victory over Case Western Reserve Friday evening. The No. 18-ranked Eagles won their third straight and raised their overall record to 18-5, 8-4 in the University Athletic Association, following a 71-65 verdict over the Spartans who slipped to 15-8 in overall action, 6-6 in the league. The Eagles' win moved them into sole possession of first place in the conference, one game ahead of Washington University, New York University and the University of Chicago.

Foster tied for game honors with 20 points, ending the night converting seven-of-17 from the floor, including three-of-four from both three-point range and the foul line.  Foster's final trey of the night was a huge one, coming with 39 ticks on the clock and snapping a 62-62 deadlock. After a CWRU free throw, Foster made the first of a one-and-one situation, but missed the second whereupon junior Will Trawick grabbed the offensive rebound and was fouled. Trawick then proceeded to knock down a pair of foul shots, boosting Emory's lead to 68-63 with 22 seconds remaining. After two Spartan charity tosses, Trawick went to the line once again and calmly hit a pair that gave Emory a 70-65 edge with 14 seconds remaining.   

Foster became the 13^th player in program history to reach 1,000 points in a career when his three pointer with 5:25 left in the first half gave him 1,001, and Emory a 27-21 lead. Foster went into the evening with 994 points.

Florin totaled 17 points tying his second-highest effort of the season, and was successful on five-of-10 from the field and six-of-seven from the stripe en route his 10^th consecutive and 16^th game of the season with double-figure scoring. Trawick added 12 points in the victory. 

The Eagles connected on 41.0 percent (25-of-61) from the field compared to the host Spartans' effort of 36.5 percent. Emory concluded the contest with a 33.3 percent (5-of-15) showing from beyond the arc while Case Western, who entered the night as the UAA leader in three-point percentage (41.2%), was successful on just 27.3 percent (6-of-22). The Spartans did post a 43-38 edge in rebounding but that was negated by their 14 turnovers that Emory parlayed into 17 points.  Emory had just eight turnovers, the fourth time in the past five games it finished with single digits in that category.

Tied at 40-40 early in the second half, Emory outscored CWRU by a 7-2 margin, highlighted by a Foster triple, to take a five-point lead. The Eagles maintained its five-point cushion until a 7-0 Spartans' burst, capped by a three pointer by Dane McLoughlin, put them ahead for the first time in the game, 56-54, with 6:59 on the clock. A dunk by CWRU's Eric Black gave Case a 60-58 advantage, and when Emory turned the ball over on its next possession, the Spartans had a chance to add to their advantage. However, sophomore Jonathan Terry made perhaps the defensive play of the game when he came up with a steal and a subsequent layup to tie the game with 2:30 remaining.  After a pair of free throws by CWRU, Trawick hit a shot in the paint with 1:27 on the clock to knot things up at 62-62, setting the stage for Foster's heroics.

With Florin scoring 14 points and Emory holding Case Western to just 29.7 percent from the field, the Eagles took a 36-32 lead at halftime. Florin continually attacked the rim, ending the half four-of-five from the floor and five-of-six from the line. Emory held a one-point lead with 10:06 left in the opening stanza before a 6-0 run, with senior Josh Schattie scoring the first four points, upped its margin to 22-15. The Spartans cut the gap to one point,  but five straight points by Foster upped the Eagles' lead back to six points. The Spartans did tie the score at 30-30 with 2:50 remaining, but Florin accounted for Emory's final six points over the final 1:07, hitting a pair of buckets and adding a pair from the charity stripe in helping Emory to a 36-32 edge at the break.