From Emory University Athletics
The No. 18-ranked Emory men's basketball team closed out a three-game homestand on a successful note Tuesday evening, coming away with a hard-fought victory over Belhaven University. The Eagles raised their overall record to 3-0 following a 72-65 verdict over the Blazers who were making their season debut.
Junior Austin DaGue recorded his third consecutive double-figure scoring contest, totaling a team-high 13 points, sinking five-of-11 from the floor and three of his four charity tosses. DaGue also totaled five rebounds and three blocked shots. Senior Will Trawick added 11 points and six rebounds while sophomore Adam Gigax rounded out the squad's double-figure scorers by scoring 10 points off the bench. Junior Jonathan Terry paced the squad with seven rebounds.
Playing its third game in five days, Emory shot 41 percent from the field (26-of-61) while Belhaven finished with a mark of 42.2 percent (27-of-64). Though it connected on just 26.5 percent (9-of-34) of its three-point opportunities, the Eagles made up for it at the foul line, knocking down 13 of 14 attempts.
A bucket by BU's Josh Gaskin, who ended the night with 18 points, with 15:40 left on the clock tied the score for the fourth time in the second half and seventh time in the game at 41-41, but Emory responded with a big 15-1 blitz to bolt to a 56-42 lead with 10:25 remaining. Junior Jim Gordon highlighted the run with back-to-back treys in a 27-second span while senior Sam Heery also drained a triple. Belhaven scrapped back to within eight points following a dunk by Gaskin, but six points by junior Jonathan Terry keyed a 12-4 Emory run that boosted its lead back to 16 points, 68-52, with 4:43 remaining. The Blazers made a strong comeback bid, scoring eight unanswered points over a 2:21 to slice the Eagles' lead to 68-61 with 1:29 remaining. However, Emory staved off the visitors to notch its 61st win at home in 69 outings.
Tied at 11-11 early in the first half, the Eagles went on an 11-2 spurt, with senior Davis Rao scoring five points and junior Jim Gordon and Gigax hitting triples, to claim a 22-13 lead advantage with 11:49 left in the stanza. However, the Blazers held Emory scoreless while rattling a 10-0 charge to claim a one-point lead. Belhaven led by a 33-30 score with under a minute remaining, but Emory knotted the score just before the break when Gigax converted a three point with five seconds on the clock.