Sophomore guard George Johnson (Richmond, Va./Miller School) scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Eastern Mennonite University men's basketball team to a 79-76 conference win over Lynchburg College Wednesday night.

EMU moves to 13-7 on the season and 7-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The loss drops Lynchburg to 3-17 overall, 1-10 in the ODAC.

Johnson, who scored 27 points in the first meeting between the two teams, was 8-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-7 from behind the arc. Todd Phillips (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) also scored a career-high 20 points to go along with eight boards.

Orie Pancione (Augusta, WVa./Hampshire) scored 14 points, another EMU career-high, while grabbed six rebounds, and three assists.

The Hornets were paced by Steven Echols who led all scorers with 32 points on 11-of-21 shooting from the field. Echols also netted 10 rebounds to go with a team best five steals.

EMU led through the first five minutes of the game as two free throws by Phillips put the Royals up by five. Lynchburg got a momentum changing three from Echols and then followed that up with a 7-2 swing that pushed the Hornets ahead by three, 10-7 (13:49). The next four minutes saw the two teams exchange baskets with neither side being able to build more than a two-point cushion. Lynchburg took the lead for the remainder of the half at the 9:41 mark as Jeff Langrock dropped in a pair with Echols hitting all three of his attempts from the charity stripe. Echols closed out the half with another long ball to put Lynchburg ahead 36-26 heading into the locker room.

Echols scored 16 points in the first half with KC Mendez adding another eight points.

Wooldridge added a bucket to start the second half, increasing the LC margin to 12 points over EMU. Following an exchange of two-point shots, Johnson dropped in a long ball to cut the deficit to nine points (40-31). The Hornets stung back and went back up by double figures, only to have EMU again respond thanks three-pointers from Johnson and D.J. Hinson (Newport News, Va./Menchville), putting the score at 44-40 (16:26 remaining).

Another run by Lynchburg saw the home team go back up by 12 again. EMU, as they had done all game, responded with Johnson again leading the charge. The Richmond, Va., native hit two free throw attempts and then hit another big three-pointer to close the LC advantage to only three (57-54, 9:12). The Hornets bended but did not break as Echols and Jack Burgess kept the home team on top for the next eight minutes.

A layup by Phillips with just under two minutes remaining gave EMU their first lead of the second half. The EMU margin grew to four on two more Phillips free throws with Echols, again, keeping the home team in the game with a three with only 20 seconds left. Johnson went to the line, sinking both attempts, with Danny Reed answering for Lynchburg on the home team's next possession (77-76, six seconds left). The Hornets fouled Johnson on EMU's next trip down the court, putting him on the charity stripe with five seconds on the clock. Johnson calmly sank both attempts, giving the Hornets one last attempt to tie the game. Without hessitation, Reed drove down the side of the court and put up the three-point shot only to have it sail wide of the basket, clinching the ODAC win for EMU.

Johnson poured in a team best 24 points in the second frame with Phillips adding 12 points.

Reed finished with 10 points for Lynchburg.

The Royals will stay on the road as they travel to Virginia Beach, Va., to take on the Marlins of Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday, February 7. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.