TRAVELERS REST, SC - The men's basketball team faced the North Greenville Crusaders on the road on Friday night. The Lions defeated the Crusaders, 73-68, moving Emmanuel's record to 18-7 overall and 17-4 in Conference Carolinas, where they remain second in the standings. 

Despite Emmanuel only winning by five points, they never trailed in the game. The Lions started with a 6-0 lead and never even allowed the Crusaders to so much as tie the score. A 35-27 advantage at halftime was the result of strong defense rather than remarkable offense as the Lions only shot 33% from the field in the first 20 minutes. They went 4 of 14 from beyond the arc (29%), but were perfect at the line going 9-9. 

Emmanuel improved to 50% from the field in the second half (13-26), but still relied heavily on strong defense to fend off the Crusaders. NGU threatened a late comeback, constantly staying within arms reach before pulling within a possession at the 36 second mark when the Lions led 71-68. However, sophomore KJ Jones II sank a pair of clutch free throws after getting intentionally fouled, putting the game away in favor of Emmanuel, 73-68. 

KJ Jones II finished with 23 points, dishing out 4 assists and grabbing 4 boards. Senior Michael Wright, sophomore Jayvion Rucker, and senior Isaiah Foster all followed with 8 points, while senior Brandon Simpson recorded 7 rebounds. 

Next up, men's basketball will face Francis Marion on the road this Saturday, February 19 at 4:00pm. 

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