The No. 3 ranked Emory University men's basketball program closed the Midway Classic tournament on Sunday afternoon defeating the UC-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs 96-78. Senior Ben Pearce registered a career-high 35 points going a perfect 10-10 in free throws in the win.
"This was a great experience for our team to be of this tournament, playing against solid competition with short preparations modeling a UAA weekend," said Head Coach Jason Zimmerman following the win. "To come off a disappointing performance and to perform how we did, finding a way to play better and execute more precisely is a good sign for us moving forward."
After the Slugs opened the game with two free throws, the Eagles' offense was rolling as they took a 19-10 lead. Sophomore Mario Awasum unlocked more offensive movement landing a dunk in the 12th minute followed by two free throws giving Emory a 14-point advantage over UC-Santa Cruz. With 6:24 remaining on the clock, Pearce scored 10 more points for the Eagles, six of those coming from three pointers, to keep the offense rolling with a 46-33 lead heading into the locker room.
UC-Santa Cruz looked to close in on Emory in the second half being outscored by just five points in the final 20 minutes of playing. Senior Jair Knight entered the scoring category totaling nine points in the first seven minutes following the break. The Slugs started closing in towards the middle of the half coming within a four-point deficit but Pearce, with the help of junior AJ Harris, was able to break away to an 11 point lead with 7:18 remaining in the game. Both offenses continued trading baskets until the final minute and a half with the Eagles finishing with a 10-0 run for a 96-78 victory.
"Our guys are trusting each other more as well as adapting to new roles while playing against good teams," Zimmerman continued. "Always a positive to have a Ben [Pearce] on your side as well as someone who can control a game and pace like he can."
Pearce paced four Eagles in double figures while contributing a season-high eight assists. Awasum notched a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds and Knight ended the contest with 17 points.
The Eagles will hit the road again for a matchup in Greensboro, North Carolina on Saturday, November 22 where they will face Guilford at 2:00 PM.
