The No. 19 Emory men's basketball team (1-0) traveled to Demorest, Georgia on Sunday to play their first regular season game of the season against Piedmont University. The Eagles started off the season on the right foot, taking down Lions 91-83 behind a strong offensive performance from several different players. Three Eagles put up 15 or more points, including a double-double performance from junior forward Logan Shanahan. This was Shanahan's fourth career double-double and first since February 2022.
The Eagles stumbled out of the gate in their clash with the Lions, shooting 29.4% from the field, including a 17.6% shooting percentage from beyond the arc in the half. The Eagles found themselves heading into halftime behind the Lions 36-34.
However, the Eagles found their groove in the second half, knocking down 10 three-pointers and shooting 51.3% from the field. Shanahan not only racked up 17 points in the game, but also grabbed a team-high 16 rebounds to complete his double-double night. The junior also added two assists to his stat line.
Sophomore guard Ben Pearce led the team in scoring with 20 points, adding seven assists as well. Pearce shot 33.3% from beyond the arc while playing 28 minutes against the Lions.
Adding to the strong offensive showing was sophomore guard Jair Knight, who scored 18 points on Sunday, including a 57.1% shooting percentage from three-point range.
As a team, the Eagles out rebounded the Lions 56-47 and received 18 points from their bench. The Eagles also found 30 points in the paint and gathered 13 second chance points on the night. After Sunday's game, Emory boasts a 16-3 series record against Piedmont dating back to 1988.
The Eagles will be back in action next weekend on Saturday, November 18th as they take on Guilford on the road. The game against Guilford will tip-off at 2:00 PM.