HARRISONBURG, Va. – After trailing by as many as 15 points, the Washington and Lee men's basketball team came all the way back to force overtime, but ultimately fell by a 62-60 final at Eastern Mennonite on Wednesday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Generals (16-6, 8-5 ODAC) shook a 15-point first-half deficit and outscored the Royals (7-15, 4-9 ODAC) 27-16 from the 4:13 mark of the first until 10 minutes remained in regulation. That included separate 9-2 and 7-0 runs from the Blue and White, and sophomore Connor Amorosi led the team with 12 of the 27 points.
- Over the final 10 minutes of regulation, both teams made 5-of-10 field goals, but the Generals made four more foul shots, including a 2-for-2 trip at the line for senior A.J. Thomas with 22 seconds left, to tie the game.
- The Royals managed a three-point attempt to end the second half, but a tough close-out from senior Colin Ryan on Aaron Brooks forced a miss to send the game to overtime.
- Both teams traded two free throws on their opening possessions of the extra period, before Brooks nailed a stepback three under another heavy contest from W&L.
- Ryan answered with a layup on the following possession, but those were the final points for the Generals, as the Royals forced a miss on a potential game-winning three with six seconds left and another stop at the buzzer.
- The Generals scored the first six points of the game on a three each from sophomore Bryce Breeden and Amorosi. EMU proceeded to then score 12 straight points on the front end of a 16-2 run to flip the game in their favor by eight points 12 minutes into the half.
- The Royals went on an additional 9-0 run shortly thereafter, making 4-of-4 shots, to build their 15-point first-half lead.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Amorosi was game's top scorer with 24 points on 7-of-19 shooting (3-4 3pt FG, 7-10 FT) to go along with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
- Ryan followed with 10 points, nine rebounds and two assists, while first-year Addison Newkirk added eight points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Newkirk's 14 boards were one off his season high, which came against Guilford on January 3. Newkirk also blocked three shots and had two steals.
- Jazen Walker scored an EMU-best 14 points on 6-of-6 shooting. Brooks and Isaiah Carr both scored 12, with Brooks tallying six rebounds, three assists and four steals. BJ Nkrumah led the Royals with seven rebounds.
ODAC UPDATE:
- With Wednesday's loss, the Generals' 8-5 conference record now matches Lynchburg's. The Hornets, however, own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Generals, putting the Generals in fifth place in the standings.
TEAM STATS:
- W&L was held to 30 percent (21-70) shooting for the game while the Royals made 42.9 percent (24-56) of their shots. Both teams only made one field goal on 15 combined attempts in overtime.
- The Generals set season highs in both total rebounds (52) and offensive rebounds (23) on Wednesday, leading to a 19-3 advantage in second-chance points. The 52 rebounds were their most in a game since November 15, 2023, (55), and it was their most offensive rebounds since February 24, 2021, (25).
- The Royals outscored W&L in bench points (31-10) and points in the paint (30-26). The Generals were the top team in fastbreak points (8-6) and points off turnovers (10-9).
UP NEXT:
The Generals have another key game next up on the schedule, as they travel to Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
