Men’s Basketball vs East Mennonite: The Win to Start the Season
By Korynn Bowers
Southern Virginia University’s Men’s Basketball has been eagerly preparing for their first home game of the season. Eastern Mennonite (EMU) came to SVU home courts on Nov. 9, and it was sure to be an exciting season opener.
The Knights came out hard and fast, making points left and right. Scottie Ziegner (‘22) says, “We started off the game playing really well and organized. We’re a shooting team and when we get shots, it’s hard to stop us.”
The first half ended with the Knights up 52–37.
After halftime, the 15 point lead gave fans hope for a win, but with so much time left, the game could be won by either team. EMU came back strong, bringing the score closer and ensuring a nerve-wracking finish.
Ziegner commented on the second half, saying, “The second half was a different story as we got into some foul trouble, as well as some difficulty getting a bucket from time to time. However, because we’re a young team, we stayed resilient and we were able to finish the game off strong.”
The last few minutes came down to the wire and left fans on the edge of their seats. Throughout the second half, EMU had brought the score within a few points. The last few seconds of the game, EMU made a foul, costing them the game and ending with a Knight win. The score ended at 78–75, a great way to start off the basketball season.
Excited after the win, Jesse Barker (‘23) said, “It’s always exciting to win, especially at home in front of our fans. We’re always looking to improve, and that game was a good experience for us to see the things we need to fix. We’re all very excited about the steps we’ve taken this preseason as a program and the vision everyone on the team has for the future. We had a big win in our first scrimmage against Lynchburg, which I think really set the tone thus far. I’ve never been a part of a team with so much commitment and sense of brotherhood before, and I absolutely love it.”
Final Score: 78–75
Follow along with Men’s Basketball at their next game on Friday, Nov. 26 against Virginia University-Lynchburg.
