The No. 22 ranked Emory University men's basketball team bounced back with a statement win Wednesday afternoon, defeating No. 20 Christopher Newport University 86-70 in a meeting of Division III powerhouses in Atlanta.

Sophomore Ben Pearce went for a game-high 22 points with junior Logan Shanahan dropping 14 points and nine rebounds as the Eagles knocked off the reigning national champions in convincing fashion at the WoodPEC. Emory now heads into UAA play with a 9-2 record having won eight of its last nine while the Captains see their five-game winning streak snapped to fall to 12-4. CNU was led in scoring by Jahn Hines and Toa Hollenbeck who scored 21 and 20 points, respectively.

The Eagles held the lead for all but 15 seconds and were in front by as many as 18 points in the mid-week matinee. As a team, Emory shot 32-for-54 (59.3%) while holding CNU to 33.3% shooting (26-for-78). The Eagles won the rebounding battle 40-38 and continued their recent torrid pace defending at the rim, rejecting 10 shots.

A Hines layup with 17:20 in the first half gave CNU its only lead of the game but a three from junior Cale Martens which kickstarted a 5-0 run gave the Eagles the lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Emory moved ahead by 12 – its largest lead of the half – at 39-27 with 3:45 following a 9-0 run capped off by an AJ Harris three-pointer. However, CNU responded to close the half on an 8-2 burst.

The Eagles came out of the break firing as Pearce and classmate Jair Knight combined to score the game's first seven points in the second half, giving Emory a 48-35 edge at 18:19. The Captains made it a five-point game at 50-45 with an Isaiah Dozier layup at 13:47 but a 13-0 counter by the Eagles, headlined by three balls from Pearce and Albert Fallas pushed Emory in front by its largest lead of the afternoon at 63-45 with 11:07 to go.

The Captains did not go quietly, eventually widdling the deficit to single digits again at 68-60 with 6:24 left. That run was answered with another Emory run, scoring seven straight with another Fallas three acting as the dagger putting Emory ahead 75-60 at the five minute mark. The Eagles never trailed by less than 13 points across the final minutes of the game en route to the 16-point victory.

Emory opens UAA play this Saturday with a matchup against the Yellowjackets of Rochester. Tip off in upstate New York is set for 2:00 PM.