CHARLOTTE, NC - The men's basketball team kicked off their 2021-22 campaign on Friday night at the Southeast Regional Challenge, hosted by Queens University. Their first game in the two game series was against Lenoir-Rhyne. The Lions beat the Bears by 15 points, 80-65, moving their record to 1-0. 

The Bears got off to a quick start, leading the Lions by seven points after six minutes of play, 16-9. But several different Lions knocked down shots from behind the arc as they slowly pulled the score even, 20-20. Then, with the Bears leading 27-24, the Lions went on a 15-2 run that quickly gave them a double-digit lead, 39-29. The third made three-pointer of the half for senior Isaiah Foster sent Emmanuel into halftime with a 13 point lead, 45-32. 

The effective shooting continued for the Lions into the second half as they continued to knock down threes, making it difficult for the Bears to garner a comeback. Emmanuel also took advantage of mistakes made by LRU, scoring 11 points off turnovers in the second half and 18 from fast breaks. The Bears fought to hang around, but the Lions eventually won by 15 points, 80-65. 

Senior Tyonn Stuckey and sophomore KJ Jones II were the leading point-scorers for the Lions, recording 15 each. Stuckey added 7 rebounds and an assist, while Jones had 8 boards and 6 assists. Isaiah Foster went 4-4 from beyond the arc, recording 12 points. 

Next up, men's basketball will face #16 Queens University, the host of the challenge. 

For more on Emmanuel College athletics, visit goeclions.com.