Box Score Sophomore Jake Davis scored 21 points but it wasn't enough as the Emory men's basketball team closed out the regular season with a loss at the University of Rochester. The Eagles saw their overall record fall to 19-6, 8-6 in the University Athletic Association following a 92-73 setback to the Yellowjackets who improved to 17-8 overall, 8-6 in the league.
The Eagles fell victim to hot shooting by the host UR squad who ended the afternoon hitting 57 percent from the floor (27-of-47) including a blazing 61 percent (11-of-18) from three-point range. Emory finished with a 39 percent (27-of-70) showing from the field and converted just 25 percent (8-of-32) from beyond the arc. The Yellowjackets were opportunistic from the charity stripe, draining 27-of-30 compared to Emory's 11 makes in 12 attempts.
Davis nailed nine-of-13 field goal attempts, including a pair of triples, in racking up his 25th double-figure scoring performance of the season and 11th of 20 or more points. Junior Michael Friedberg chipped in 18 points on five-of-nine field goal shooting, including two-of-three from distance, while sinking six free throws. Senior Austin Claunch rounded out the team's double-figure scorers with 12 points while dishing out six assists and coming up with three steals.
The senior duo of John DiBartolomeo and Chris Dende combined for 61 points in keying the Rochester victory, hitting 18-of-27 field goal attempts between them including 10-of-12 beyond the arc. DiBartolomeo finished the day with 40 points, draining 11-of-15 from the floor, including all four of his three-point opportunities, and converting 14-of-15 from the free throw line. Dende was successful on seven-of-12 from the field including six-of-eight from distance.
Behind 15 points apiece from DiBartolomeo and Dende, the Yellowjackets held a 42-33 lead at halftime. A three-pointer by Claunch enabled Emory to take a 33-31 lead with 4:48 left in the stanza, but the Eagles went scoreless over the remainder of the half while Rochester scored 11 straight points. Nate Novosell scored all six of his opening-half points in that stretch while DiBartolomeo added a basket and Dende a triple. Davis paced the Emory scoring effort during the opening 20 minutes of play with 12 points, sinking five-of-eight from the floor, while Claunch added eight points. The Yellowjackets shot a blistering 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the field in the first half with Emory posting a 42.4 percent (14-of-33) mark from the floor.
After Claunch scored to open the second half, UR went on an 11-0 charge, the last nine points coming on three triples, to bolt to a 53-35 advantage with 15:55 left in the game. Trailing by a 58-39 count with 13:06 left on the clock, the Eagles responded with a 12-1 spurt, with Friedberg scoring six points in that run, to draw to within eight points, 59-51 with 7:41 left. After a three-point play by Chris Dende pushed UR's lead back to 11 points, a double technical was whistled on the Emory bench on its next possession resulting in four free throws by DiBartolomeo followed by two more charity tosses by him on Rochester's ensuing possession, that extended its lead to 17 points with 6:29 left. From there, Emory would get no closer than 14 points the remainder of the game.
