Junior Austin DaGue scored a career-high tying 19 points in leading the No. 18-ranked Emory men's basketball team to a season-opening victory over Piedmont College on Friday evening.   The Eagles boosted their all-time record to 20-10 in season-opening contests with a 72-60 decision over the Lions that was played at the Woodruff PE Center.

DaGue ended the game sinking eight-of-13 from the floor and three-of-four from the charity stripe in registering his eighth career double-figure scoring effort. In addition to his point total, DaGue topped all players with nine rebounds and blocked a career-best six shots, with that total tying the fifth-highest individual game mark in program history.

Head coach Jason Zimmerman got all 17 players on the roster into the game with 13 finding their way into the scoring and rebounding columns.  Senior Will Trawick added eight points while seniors Sam Heery, Davis Rao and sophomore Chris Avant all contributed six points. 

The Eagles wound up the contest converting 41.4 percent (29-of-70) from the field compared to the Lions' 37.0 percent (20-of-54).  Emory enjoyed a 45-33 bulge on the glass and finished with a 29-12 advantage in bench scoring.

Emory rolled to a 43-19 edge at the intermission, holding the Lions scoreless over a 6:20 span that allowed it to stretch a 9-4 lead into a 17-4 advantage.  After a bucket by PC's Chris Meeks drew the Lions to within 21-10, Emory rattled off 11 consecutive points, five coming from DaGue, to claim a 32-10 lead with 3:43 on the clock.  DaGue totaled 11 first-half points, knocking down five-of-seven from the floor, while Trawick picked up all of his game total in the opening stanza.  The Eagles used a suffocating defensive effort during the opening 20 minutes, forcing 13 Piedmont turnovers that they parlayed into 15 points.   Back-to-back triples by DaGue midway through the second half, gave Emory its largest lead of the evening, 60-27, with 11:18 remaining in the game.

Emory returns to action on Sunday (Nov. 15) when it hosts Birmingham Southern College in a scheduled 8:00 pm start.

NOTES – Head coach Jason Zimmerman is now 7-2 in season opening games at Emory … The win boosted the Eagles record at home to 59-8 over the last 67 games … Emory now claims a 9-3 edge in the all-time series vs. Piedmont … Sophomore Donald Avant logged a career-long 16 minutes grabbed a career-high six rebounds, while twin brother, Chris, picked up a career-best six points in a 10-minute stint … Senior Sam Heery made his first career start and knocked down a pair of treys en route to posting a career-high six points.