Box Score
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The Belhaven men's basketball team dropped its first Southern States Athletic Conference game of the season on Friday night, falling at Emmanuel College 61-53. The Blazers have now lost their last four games and will try and regroup on Saturday at Truett-McConnell.

Belhaven (4-7, 2-1 SSAC) had a slow start out of the gate and immediately had to play from behind. Emmanuel (10-2, 2-1 SSAC) exploded for a quick 7-0 lead in the first five minutes of the game before Deon Bedford got the Blazers on the board with a bucket at the 15:09 mark of the first half.

Over the next 10 minutes Belhaven began to chip away at the deficit and eventually pulled even at 11-11 with 8:28 to go until the half on a basket by Dione Milsap. Bedord gave the Blazers their first advantage at 15-13 just over three minutes later and for the rest of the half the teams traded buckets. Belhaven ended the opening 20 minutes with a 25-23 lead thanks to a triple at the buzzer by Jerrial Dawson.

The Blazers largest lead of the night, 39-33, occurred with just under 13 minutes left to play in the game on the strength of another long distance jumper by Dawson. Unfortunately it didn't last long as the Lions came roaring back with a 7-0 run to move back in front. Adrian Justice hit the go ahead shot with 10:37 left in the contest.

The teams traded baskets during the next two possessions and with just under nine minutes to play, Belhaven found themselves with a 43-42 after a free throw by Datodrick Pinkston. However, at that point Emmanuel took control of the contest using an 8-0 run to build a 50-43 cushion with 5:59 on the second half clock. Belhaven could get no closer than six points and trailed by as a many as 10 down the stretch.

Milsap had 15 points and Dawson notched a season high 12 points off the bench to lead the Blazers offense. Bedford had a team best seven rebounds to go along with nine points. Belhaven struggled from the field, converting just 32.8 percent of its field goals (19-58). The Blazers were 7 of 25 from three point range (28 percent) and tossed in 8 of 12 at the charity stripe (66.7 percent). The Blazers trailed in the rebounding department 39-33.

Justice accumulated a game high 20 points, Patrick McCrary tallied 16 points, and Michael Stanley produced 12 points and 15 rebounds for Emmanuel. The Lions hit 40 percent of their field goals (22-55), went 2 of 11 from behind the three point arc (18.2 percent), and cashed in on 15 out of 21 free throw attempts (71.4 percent).

Belhaven will look to get back on track in SSAC play at Truett-McConnell on Saturday. Tip-off is slated for 4:00 PM.