DAHLONEGA, GA – The Emmanuel Men's Basketball team faced a familiar opponent in USC-Aiken in the first round of the NCAA DII Tournament. The match up was as advertised with three ties and 10 lead changes, but the Lions edged the Pacers by one point to move onto the semifinals of the Southeast Regional, 70-69. With the win, the Lions move to 26-6 on the season.
 
In the first half the Lions got off to a quick start, going on a 10-2 run before the Pacers found their rhythm offensively. The Lions were 12-29 (41.38%) from the field and 6-15 from beyond the arc, with five Lions connecting from three in the half. The Pacers would close out the half on a 9-3 run to take a five-point lead into the break, 35-30. 
 
 In the second half, the Pacers would extend their lead by as much as nine points early, 39-30. USC-Aiken would lead for the majority of the second half, but the Lions were never out of reach. Emmanuel shot 53.57% from the field in the half, connecting on 5-9 three-pointers. The Lions took their first lead of the 2^nd half on a made three-pointer by KJ Jones II with 1:50 to play in the game to make it 66-65. The teams traded points the rest of the way, with a lay-up by Kendall Latney with 12 seconds to play sealed the win for the Lions, 70-69. 
 
KJ Jones II led the Lions with 19 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Chris Dees contributed 13 points and 4 rebounds while Tavarus Webb added 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. 
 
Next up, the Lions will face #6 seed Lander tomorrow at 5PM in the semifinals. Click here to purchase tickets! See you in Dahlonega, Lions!