Kerns made a three-pointer at the first-half buzzer to send the Wasps into the locker room with a 35-34 lead after a back-and-forth opening period. He added four points during Emory & Henry's 9-0 run that opened the second half and gave the guests a 10-point edge. Two Korey Townsend (South Boston, VA/Halifax County) free throws extended the Wasps' lead to 60-45 with 8:02 remaining in the game. The Quakers rallied with a 16-2 run that included three straight three-pointers and pulled to within 62-61 on senior Ashford Gray's (Charlotte, NC/Garinger (St. Andrew's)) trifecta with 4:56 left.
The teams traded baskets for the next four minutes, with Kerns scoring three of Emory & Henry's last five field goals, plus two free throws in the final 4:43. After Guilford's Kerry Atkinson (Raleigh, NC/Wakefield) missed a potentially game-tying three-pointer with 58 seconds left, he fouled Lance Reasbeck (Satellite Beach, FL/Satellite Beach), who made two free throws for a 76-71 Wasps' lead. Townsend made four of six free throws in the final 33 seconds, while Guilford could not score a basket until junior Patrick Stephenson's (Cary, NC/Apex (Campbell)) layup with four seconds left.
Kerns added a game-high nine rebounds for the Wasps. Townsend finished with 13 points, seven boards and three assists. Reasbeck and Davon Jones (Richmond, VA/Henrico) scored 10 points apiece.
Sophomore Thomas Burge (Winston-Salem, NC/Glenn (UNC Greensboro)) paced the Quakers with 18 points and a game-high six assists off the bench. Junior center Genaro Lawhorn (Greensboro, NC/Oak Ridge Military Academy) and freshman center Ben Strong (Chapel Hill, NC/Chapel Hill) added 14 points apiece.
Guilford returns to action Saturday at league-rival Lynchburg at 3:00 p.m. The Wasps host Hampden-Sydney Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in an ODAC matchup.
Emory & Henry vs Guilford 12/01/04 7:00 pm at Greensboro, NC; Ragan-Brown Field House At Greensboro, NC; Ragan-Brown Field House EMORY & HENRY 80, GUILFORD 73 EMORY & HENRY (3-3, 1-0 ODAC) KERNS, Gary 9-19 2-2 21; TOWNSEND, Korey 3-10 7-10 13; REASBECK, Lance 3-11 2-2 10; JONES, Davon 3-4 4-4 10; NEWMAN, Hansel 3-3 2-2 8; REID, Brandon 3-5 0-0 7; SCHWARTZSTEIN, Will 2-4 0-0 4; BLAND, Shavar 1-2 0-0 3; WATSON, Cortez 1-4 0-0 2; REDGATE, Paul 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 29-64 17-20 80. GUILFORD (2-2, 0-1 ODAC) BURGE, Thomas 5-10 5-5 18; STRONG, Ben 7-9 0-0 14; LAWHORN, Genaro 5-10 4-5 14; SNIPES, Jordan 4-9 0-0 9; ATKINSON, Kerry 4-10 0-0 9; GRAY, Ashford 1-4 0-0 3; TAYLOR, Jamel 1-2 0-0 2; STEPHENSON, Patrick 1-3 0-0 2; STORUS, Kevin 1-6 0-2 2; KIMBROUGH, Caleb 0-1 0-0 0; SHARPE, Andy 0-3 0-0 0; GILLETTE, Stephen 0-1 0-0 0; SMITH, Kevin 0-5 0-0 0. Totals 29-73 9-12 73. Emory & Henry................. 35 45 - 80 Guilford...................... 34 39 - 73 3-point goals-Emory & Henry 5-16 (REASBECK, Lance 2-6; KERNS, Gary 1-5; REID, Brandon 1-3; BLAND, Shavar 1-2), Guilford 6-23 (BURGE, Thomas 3-7; SNIPES, Jordan 1-4; GRAY, Ashford 1-3; ATKINSON, Kerry 1-3; STEPHENSON, Patrick 0-2; STORUS, Kevin 0-1; KIMBROUGH, Caleb 0-1; LAWHORN, Genaro 0-1; SMITH, Kevin 0-1). Fouled out--Emory & Henry-None, Guilford-None. Rebounds-Emory & Henry 37 (KERNS, Gary 9), Guilford 44 (STRONG, Ben 7). Assists-Emory & Henry 13 (REASBECK, Lance 4), Guilford 20 (BURGE, Thomas 6). Total fouls-Emory & Henry 14, Guilford 20. A-275 Old Dominion Athletic Conference game. Kerns scored 16 of his points in the second half. Guilford trimmed a 15-point 2nd-half deficit down to 1 on five occasions, but could not get a go-ahead or tying basket.