Steven Echols Scores 29 as LC Men Defeat EMU 87-76

LYNCHBURG, VA – Freshman guard Steven Echols (Martinsville, VA/Carlisle) posted 29 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals Saturday as the Lynchburg College men’s basketball team defeated Eastern Mennonite University 87-76 in an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) game.

The Hornets opened a 24-11 lead midway through the first half, but the Royals chipped away and the game was tied at 43 at intermission. The contest was again tied at 63 all with 7:38 remaining on the game clock, but a jumper from senior center Peter Vasiliou (Chincoteague, VA/Chincoteague) and a three-pointer from Evan Fancourt (Greensboro, NC/Grimsley) put the Hornets ahead to stay. With LC up 72-68 in the final four minutes, two lay-ups from Drew Norris (Richmond, VA/Steward School) and one from Echols gave the Hornets a 10-point cushion to seal the win.

Echols hit 12 of his 16 shots from the floor en route to his game-high point total, and the 5-10, 145-pound guard tied for the game-high in rebounds. Norris hit three three-pointers and finished with 21 points, Vasiliou tallied 14 points and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out and Danny Reed (Adamstown, MD/Tuscarora) had 11 points and four blocked shots. The Hornets shot 50 percent from the field for the game (33-66) and 61 percent (17-28) in the second half.

Brad Parkes made eight of his 11 field-goal attempts for a team-high 19 points for EMU (5-5/1-2 ODAC). LeRoger Parrish and Yanni El’ DeJesus each had 15 points. The Hornet defense held the ODAC’s second-leading scorer, Jason Sager, to 10 points.

The Hornets (5-6/2-2 ODAC), winners of three-straight, will face Bridgewater College Sunday at 3 p.m. in another ODAC match-up.

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