From Emory University Athletics
Junior Adam Gigax poured in 20 of his game-high 31 points in the second half in leading the Emory men's basketball team to a hard-fought Friday evening road win on the road at Case Western Reserve. The Eagles upped their record to 11-4 overall, 2-2 in the University Athletic Association, following a 91-81 decision over the Spartans who fell to 5-10 in overall action, 0-4 in the league.
Gigax sank 10-of-18 field goal attempts, including five three-pointers in eight tries, and all six free throw opportunities en route to his fifth straight and 13th double-figure scoring performance of the season. Gigax also helped Emory to a 42-36 advantage in rebounding by snagging a game-high eight rebounds. Junior Whit Rapp and senior Jim Gordon rounded out the squad's double-figure scorers with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Rapp's total represented his second-highest career total while Gordon's output marked his eighth straight and 14th double-digit outing of the season. Rapp also dished out seven assists to aid in the triumph, his 10th performance of seven or more this season.
After a bucket by Eric Black put CWRU ahead, by a 57-51 margin with 13:43 left in the contest, Emory responded with a lethal 19-2 barrage that saw the Spartans not convert a field goal over six and one-half minutes. Senior Jonathan Terry scored five of the first seven points of that run while Gigax chipped in five points as well in propelling Emory to a 70-59 advantage with 6:48 on the clock. After a Spartans' three pointer, Gigax rang up eight consecutive and 11 of the Eagles' next 13 points over a five-minute span to help secure the win.
Emory closed out the night hitting 47 percent (31 of 66) of its field goal attempts, including 36.4 percent (12 of 33) from beyond the arc. The Spartans were successful on 43.3 percent (26 of 60) from the floor and sank 40.7 percent (11 of 27) from distance. Emory used some solid free throw in the win, sinking 89.5 percent (17 of 19) from the stripe, with that mark the team's second-highest of the season. After the Spartans had narrowed their deficit to 78-73 with 2:01 left on the clock, the Eagles knocked down all eight of their final attempts at the line in fending off the CWRU comeback bid. David Black led Case Western in scoring with 19 points.
Holding a 14-12 lead with 13:12 left in the opening half, the Spartans went on a 13-1 run to bolt to a 27-13 advantage with 8:36 remaining. The Eagles hit just five of their opening 16 field goal tries up to that point but bounced back in strong fashion over the remainder of the stanza. A pair of free throws by Nick Aloi kept CWRU ahead by a 35-22 count with 4:35 left but the Eagles found their long-range shooting touch, posting a 17-7 blitz over the rest of the half, highlighted by Jim Gordon draining three straight triples, to trail by just a 42-39 margin at the break. Emory concluded the opening 20 minutes shooting 48.4 percent (15 of 31) from the field while Case checked in at 46.9 percent (15 of 32). After a slow start, the Eagles connected on seven-of-18 from three-point range while Case converted 42.9 percent (6 of 14). Gigax led Emory with 11 points while Gordon and Rapp each chipped in nine points.