College Men’s Basketball Final – Guilford 91, Emory & Henry 88 (2 OT)

EMORY, Va.—Matt McCarthy scored a career high 44 points, the highest total in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) this season, as Guilford College came back from 12 points down to earn a Wednesday evening ODAC victory, 81-78, in double overtime. The senior’s point total is the most by a Quaker since Ben Strong ’08 scored 59 points in a triple-overtime victory over Lincoln (Pa.) in the 2007 NCAA Division III Tournament.

Both teams played efficiently in the first frame, with the Quakers (14-4, 7-2 ODAC) shooting 46.7 percent from the field while the Wasps shot 45.2 percent. Six of Emory & Henry’s (3-15, 2-7 ODAC) 14 first-half baskets were made from three-point range, where the Wasps shot 6-of-14. The Quakers shot 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, sinking four of their first six shots. Both teams traded the lead throughout the half with neither team amassing a lead larger than four points.

The Wasps came out of halftime to manufacture a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 12 for their largest lead of the game, 2:44 into the second half. The Quakers cut the deficit to four with 9:53 left in the second stanza, but the Wasps re-claimed their double digit lead in almost two minutes. After the Wasps were held without a field goal for a 5:06 stretch late in the period, McCarthy drove to the hoop for a three-point play with 13 seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Both teams traded the lead throughout the first overtime period until Myles Turner tied the game with 1:34 left. Neither side would score for the rest of the period, forcing a second overtime. The second overtime featured three ties and went to the final minute, where McCarthy hit a three-pointer with 24 seconds left to claim the final lead and secure the win.

McCarthy shot 7-of-16 from three-point range, matching a career-high of three-point field goals made. The senior shot 16-of-29 from the field and 5-of-5 from the foul line. Jonny Rice also totaled a career-high with 28 points on 14-of-22 shooting with seven rebounds and two steals.

John Shelor led the Wasps with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting while adding six rebounds and three steals. The Wasps totaled three other players in double-figure scoring with Turner finishing with 15 points to add to seven assists. Kevin Anzenberger added 13 points while Josh Hess came off the bench to score 12.

The Quakers shot 50.7 percent from the field in the contest, including 51.6 percent in the second half and overtime periods. The Wasps shot 54 percent from the field, including 63.6 percent after the first half. Both teams enjoyed strong shooting from three-point range, with the Quakers shooting 10-of-25 (40 percent) and the Wasps shooting 12-of-28 (42.9 percent).

The Quakers held the advantage inside offensively, outscoring the Wasps, 48-32, in the paint. Guilford converted 18 Emory & Henry miscues into 22 points while the Wasps converted 16 Quaker turnovers into just eight points. Emory & Henry held a strong advantage in bench scoring, holding a 27-2 edge over the Quakers.

The Quakers return home Saturday, hosting Eastern Mennonite University for a 4 p.m. ODAC contest.