Box Score Emory junior Hannah Lilly poured in a game-high 21 points and senior Misha Jackson came through her second straight double-double Saturday evening in leading the No. 21-ranked Emory women's basketball team to a decisive victory over Piedmont College in the title game of the Emory Tip-Off Classic. The Eagles raised their record to 2-0 following a 72-54 triumph over the Lions who slipped to
1-1.
A stifling Emory defense limited the visiting Piedmont squad to just 29.5 percent (18-of-61) from the floor including 20.0 percent (3-of-15) from three-point range. The Eagles concluded the contest by sinking 40.6 percent (28-of-69) from the field and hit on 8-of-20 from beyond the arc. Emory enjoyed a wide 52-37 advantage in rebounding, 21 of which came on the offensive end.
Emory led wire-to-wire against the Lions and used a 15-2 barrage over a six-minute stretch in the first half that expanded a four-point lead into a 30-13 cushion with 6:50 left. Five different players scored for Emory in the run including freshman Ilene Tsao who notched four of her 11 points. After the Lions cut the gap to 13 points with 2:39 left in the stanza following a basket by Kiki Thompson, Jackson scored six of the team's next seven points in helping Emory stake itself to a 41-25 lead heading into halftime. Jackson racked up 14 points to lead all scorers during the opening 20 minutes of play while Tsao came off the bench to add eight.
Keyed by a pair of three-point field goals by Lilly, the Eagles opened the second half on an 11-1 run that blew the game wide open as they raced out to what would be their largest lead of the evening, 52-26, with 16:30 remaining. Lilly posted 14 points over the final 20 minutes of play and was by junior Selena Castillo who added eight points in the stanza. Lilly ended the game converting nine-of-19 from the field en route to her 38th career effort of 10 or more points. Jackson pumped in 16 points, successfully making six-of-13 field goal opportunities and four-of-five from the charity stripe, while tying her career high that she originally set last evening with 17 rebounds, the tenth-highest individual game total in school history. Jackson's performance against Piedmont represented her 11th career double-double. Castillo contributed 13 points and grabbed a career-best eight rebounds, second high on the squad.
Emory returns to action on Tuesday (Nov. 20) when it plays at LaGrange College in a 6:00 p.m. start.
