WORCESTER, Mass. – Otis Wheeler (Worcester, Mass.) gave Worcester State a 7-point lead early in the game, but Emerson ended the first half on a 7-0 run and never trailed after the break as the Lions handed the Lancers a 91-84 loss on Thursday evening at Brissette '88 Competition Court.
Worcester State (4-8) was as close as five points in the second half, but also trailed by as much as 20 as the Lions (7-2) answered the bell every time the home team made a run.
There were four players in double-figures for Worcester, led by 16 points from Erik Bjorn (Holden, Mass.) and 11 points and 8 rebounds off the bench from Wheeler, who also had two steals and an assist.
Emerson put six players in double digits, including a game-high 23 points from Zach Waterhouse (Hampton, N.H.). Waterhouse had 19 of those points in the first half, and Emerson had a 51-43 lead at the break.
Zion Hendrix (Charlotte, N.C.) knocked down a triple with twelve minutes to play to cut the deficit to 65-60, but Max Davis (Oakland, Calif.) responded with a three-pointer of his own to spark a 12-2 run to put the Lions up 77-62 with 7:32 remaining.
The lead reached 86-66 with another 7-0 run by the visitors, and stayed in double figures the rest of the night.
Hendrix led the Lancers with four assists to go with his eight points. Sam Dion (Barre, Mass.) scored 13 and Chris Cardoso (Jamaica Plain, Mass.) had 12 points and four rebounds. Paul Roche (N. Attleboro, Mass.) added 7 points in 11 minutes off the bench.
Helped by the double-double of Jarred Houston (Norwood, Mass.), who had 18 points and 11 rebounds, the Lions had a 45-27 advantage on the glass.
Worcester had a slim edge in bench scoring, 38-34, but Emerson won the points in the paint battle with a 48-40 edge. The Lancers shot 43% from the field, while Emerson fired at 52%, though Worcester shot better from three-point range (39%) and was a perfect 10-10 at the foul line.
The Lancers close out their 2021 schedule on Saturday when they host Gordon at 1:00 PM at Brissette '88 court.
Emerson finished their December slate tonight and will be back in action on January 5th when they start NEWMAC play at Babson.