GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The ninth-ranked Calvin University men's basketball team could not hold off the eighth-ranked Eagles from Emory University in an 83-74 defeat on Friday night at Van Noord Arena to conclude day one of the Great Lakes Invitational.
 
Facing its third ranked opponent (and second top-10 opponent) in its first five games, Calvin (0-5) went back and forth with Emory (3-0) throughout a fast-paced first half.
 
The Knights out-shot the Eagles 50.0 percent to 37.0 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, but Emory went into the locker room at halftime with a 42-39 edge thanks to a dominant performance on the glass. The Eagles outrebounded the Knights 26-19 in the first half, including a 13-3 advantage in offensive rebounds that helped them outscore Calvin 9-2 in second chance points while attempting 16 more field goals over the first half.
 
Uchenna Egekeze (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) and Parker Swartz (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview/Ohio Dominican) led the Knights with 10 points apiece in the first half.
 
Egekeze continued his strong performance to start the second half, weaving his way into the paint for tough finishes while also making two tough jumpers (including a three-pointer) at the end of the shot clock to keep the game close.
 
Swartz gave the Knights their first lead of the second half (54-53) with less than 13 minutes remaining, and the two teams traded the lead back and forth several times before the Knights looked to take control after a corner three-pointer from Daane Harvey (Ada, Mich./Forest Hills Eastern) gave Calvin a 68-63 lead with 6:22 to play.
 
The Eagles would answer with a 12-2 run, led by junior Jair Knight, who scored 18 of his game-high 31 points in the second half.
 
Two free throws from Egekeze cut the Calvin deficit back to 75-73 with 2:30 to play, but the Eagles closed the game on an 8-1 run to secure the win.
 
The Knights held Emory to 37.3 percent shooting for the game, but the Eagles forced 16 Calvin turnovers and outscored the Knights in both points off turnovers (19-3) and second-chance points (15-11).
 
Egekeze led Calvin with 22 points. Swartz finished with 14 points off the bench, while Trevin Winkle (McBain, Mich./Northern Michigan Christian) and Owen Varnado (Muskegon, Mich./Western Michigan Christian) finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
 
NEXT UP: Calvin men's basketball returns to action tomorrow (Saturday, November 23) when it hosts 12th-ranked Saint John's University at Van Noord Arena at 7:30 PM to close the Great Lakes Invitational.