EMORY, Va. --- The Emory & Henry men's basketball team used a 20-2 run in the first half to spark the Wasps defeated visiting Tusculum University Wednesday night in South Atlantic Conference action at the King Center.
Emory & Henry (10-9, 6-6 SAC) completes the season-sweep over the Pioneers (13-8, 5-7 SAC) in the Wasps inaugural season in the league.
E&H placed five players in double figures as Cade Looney finished with a game-high 17 points. Gabe Brown (14), Jalen Leftwich (13), Micah Banks (12) and Jake Moynihan (10) also posted double digits as the Wasps shot 55 percent from the floor including 11-of-19 from three-point territory.
TU KJ Crump and Inady Legiste scored 10 points each to lead the Pioneers who were held to 38 percent shooting from the field and were out-rebounded by a 44-31 margin.
The Wasps also totaled 22 assists on their 33 made field goals, while TU had seven helpers on their 25 field goal makes.
Tusculum trailed early in the contest 15-11 following a layup by Moynihan at the 15:09 mark of the half.
The Pioneers followed with an 8-0 run to take 19-15 after Legiste converted a three-point play with 14:07 left in the half. But back came E&H with a 10-2 run to go up 24-21 after a Leftwich bucket. Crump answered with a three-pointer for TU to trim the deficit to 25-24 before the Wasps went on their huge run.
During the 20-2 run which covered 8:08, the Pioneers went ice cold from the floor shooting 1-of-16 during the drought as E&H ran out to a 45-26 advantage with a minute left before halftime.
Tusculum scored the final five points of the half with Funderburk burying a triple and Connor Jordan hit a pair of free throws with 0.3 seconds on the clock as the Pioneers went into the locker room down 45-31.
In the second half, it was all Emory & Henry as the hosts used a 14-4 run early in the period to take a 65-39 lead and would lead by as many as 27 (90-63) later in the game.
The Pioneers returns to action next Wednesday as TU travels to UVA Wise to take on the Highland Cavaliers for a 7:30 p.m. contest. Tusculum defeated Wise in this year's first meeting 64-61 in Greeneville.
