From Emory University Athletics
The Emory men's basketball team opened University Athletic Association play on a strong note Saturday afternoon, posting a win at home over No. 22-ranked Rochester. The Eagles notched their sixth straight win and boosted their overall record to 10-2 following an 80-62 decision over the Yellowjackets who saw their ledger dip to 9-3.
Senior Adam Gigax led a balanced Emory scoring attack that featured four double-figure scorers with 17 points, his 11th double-double effort in as many outings this season. Gigax was successful on seven-of-16 field goal attempts, including three three-pointers in seven tries. Freshman Romin Williams tallied 15 points off the bench for his eighth straight double-figure performance, sinking four field goals in nine opportunities and all six of his free throw attempts. Senior Christopher Avant chalked up 14 points to go along with his team-high seven rebounds, while junior Beau Bommarito rounded out the quartet with 11 points.
Emory closed out the afternoon converting 48.1 percent (25-52) of its field goal attempts while limiting the Yellowjackets to 35.8 percent (19-53), the fourth time this season the Eagles had held the opposition to less than 40 percent. Emory enjoyed an advantage in three-point shooting, knocking down 36.4 percent (8-22) from beyond the arc vs. 30.8 percent (4-13) for Rochester. The Yellowjackets held a 37-29 edge on the glass, but turned the ball over on 18 occasions, with Emory registering a season-high 13 steals and finishing with an 18-8 cushion in the points-off-turnover category.
Holding a 10-point lead in the early stages in the second half, the Eagles went on a 10-2 spurt, started by back-to-back treys by senior Whit Rapp and Bommarito, to extend their lead to 50-32 with 16:48 left in the contest. From that point, the closest Rochester would get would be 16 points on three occasions, the final time with 13:45 left. A bucket by Chris Avant with 12:49 remaining provided Emory with a 20-point bulge, which would eventually extend to four 23-points leads over the remainder of the contest, the final time with on the clock following a basket by freshman Matt Davett.
Gigax tallied 10 points during the first 20 minutes, hitting four-of-nine field goal attempts, including a pair of three-pointers in helping the Eagles to a 40-27 edge at the break. Emory was successful on 46.4 percent (13-28) from the floor compared to Rochester's 36.4 percent (8-22). The Eagles had just three turnovers to UR's 10 miscues, and held an 11-4 advantage in the points-off-turnover category. A trey by the Yellowjackets' Tucker Knox gave the visitors a 12-6 lead six minutes into the game, but it was all Emory after that, with the Eagles sinking eight-of-11 field goals en route to posting a 24-3 blitz that put them ahead by a 30-15 count with 7:14 on the clock. Romin Williams scored seven straight points at one point during the run to account for all of his first-half point production while Davet went five-for-five from the charity stripe during the onslaught. A three-point play by Rochester drew it to within 10 points with 1:13 remaining but a Gigax triple with 51 ticks on the clock closed out the scoring for the half.