EMU's basketball men used an impressive 16-2 run to overcome a second-half deficit, but went ice cold in the closing minutes of a 69-65 loss at Ferrum College Tuesday night.  The host Panthers scored the final six points of the game to re-take the lead and the win.

Using a great balance of three pointers and slashes to the hoop, Eastern Mennonite worked to a small lead in the first half.  Maleke Jones (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) scored on a layup with 6:19 to go in the frame to give the Royals their biggest lead at 23-16.

Ferrum ended up skipping in front with 2:56 remaining, but EMU took the lead right back and was up 31-30 at halftime.

The Panthers' offense started to click midway through the second.  A couple of missed shots for the Royals flipped into an 8-0 run for Ferrum, as the home team opened up a 57-45 lead with 8:45 to play.

But the men responded quickly.  A pair of free throws from Isaiah Harris-Winn (Frederick, Md./St. Maria Goretti) ended the run.  With just over seven minutes to play, and Ferrum still up 61-50, the Runnin Royals went to work.

Jerome Jones (Charles Town, W.V./Washington) scored four straight from the free throw line, and Maleke Jones drilled a three pointer.  After a FC miss, Jerome Jones and Sammy Thomas (Owings, Md./Northern) hit layups to cap an 11-0 run in the span of just 1:40, tying up the game at 61-61.

Neither team scored for the next two minutes until Khalil Davis (Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) sliced to the hoop for two, putting EMU in front 63-61 with 3:11 to play.  The teams traded buckets, leaving the men with the two-point edge at 65-63 with 2:46 to go.

But that would be it for the Royals.  The men missed their last six shots, including five three-point attempts, and the Panthers managed enough points to get back in front for the late decision.

As could be expected in a tight game, most of the team stats were close, including Ferrum with a 42% to 40% shooting edge.  The Panthers made a few more free throws, but also capitalized on their 14 offensive rebounds for a 19-4 advantage in second chance points.

Despite the loss, the young Runnin Royals showed some good building blocks in erasing the double digit deficit on the road.  Maleke Jones dumped in 14 points with three assists and three steals.  Harris-Winn also scored 14, going 7-7 from the free throw line.  Jerome Jones scored 12 with a team high seven rebounds.

Tariq Caldwell (Richmond, Va./Lee-Davis) put in nine points while Thomas finished with six points and six boards off the bench.

Rashawn Speas led Ferrum with 15 points and six rebounds.  KeAndre' Robinson added 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

Eastern Mennonite heads to Arlington, Va., this weekend for a tourney hosted by Marymount University.  The Royals play St. Joseph's of Long Island Saturday afternoon at 1:30pm, and will play either Medgar Evers or host MU on Sunday.  Next Tuesday EMU gets a big date at D-I James Madison University.