ATLANTA, Ga. – The Brandeis University men's basketball team allowed host Emory to score the first eight points of the game, and the Judges were never able to take the lead tonight as the Eagles took an 83-75 victory in a University Athletic Association contest tonight. With the loss, the Judges fall to 8-4 overall, 1-2 in the UAA. The Eagles improve to 12-4, 5-1 UAA.
Emory jumped out the fast start by forcing three early turnovers and converting them all into baskets to take the early 8-0 lead. The hosts would go up by as many as 13 points at 22-9 on a Matthew Schner bucket with 11:34 on the clock, but the Judges responded with a 12-2 run of their own over the next three minutes. Rookie Toby Harris (Durham, N.C./Durham Academy) hit a pair of 3-pointers in the string, while grad student Collin Sawyer (New London, Conn./New London) hit a bucker with 8:30 to go that cut the deficit to 24-21. Brandeis got a stop to have a chance to tie the game, but were unable to take advantage. Emory pulled ahead again, going up by 12 with just 57 seconds left in the first on a Nick Stuck hoops, but sophomore Ryan Power (Waltham, Mass./Waltham) scored on a back-door cut, and after a stop, Sawyer hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to close the Judges within 44-37 at the break. Emory quickly scored the first seven points of the second half, including four from Schner, and Brandeis would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.
Brandeis was paced by Sawyer, who scored a season-high 26 points. He had 10 in the first half and 16 in the second. Sawyer hit three 3-pointers on the night to become just the fifth player in school history with 200 for his career. He was 7-for-14 overall, 3-for-6 from downtown and 9-for-9 from the line. Senior center Nolan Hagerty (Yarmouth, Maine/Yarmouth) added 11 points, five rebounds and two steals, two blocks and two assists. Senior Chandler Jones (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Commonwealth Academy) scored 10 points off the bench while grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. Junior Dylan Lien (Northboro, Mass. / Worcester Academy) netted six points and a team-high three assists in his first action of the semester.
Emory was paced by Schner, who scored a game-high 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting overall, 1-of-2 from deep and 4-of-6 from the line. He also grabbed five rebounds, tied with two other Eagles. Max Fried added 13 points and Stuck had 11 points and a game-high eight assists.
Brandeis shot 47% from the field (27-57), but Emory was even better at 53% (31-58). Brandeis was better from long range, hitting 57% of their 3-pointers (8-14), including 5-of-6 in the second half, while EU was just 29% (5-17). The Eagles had a slight advantage from the line 16-13, but outscored the Judges 23-16 in points off turnovers, winning the battle 13-17.
Brandeis will return to action on Sunday at 11 a.m. at the University of Rochester. These two teams will meet again in Waltham next Friday night at 5:30 p.m.