November 20, 2010

Alex Gulotta Ties School Record For Three-Point Field Goals In Win Over Guilford

Emory University junior Alex Gulotta came through with his second consecutive evening of establishing a career high in scoring and the Eagles used a potent outside shooting attack in coming away with a 69-61 triumph over No. 19 Guilford Saturday evening in the championship game of the Hilton Garden Inn Invitational.  With the win, Emory boosts its record to 3-0, the program’s first such start since the 2004-05 season.

After leading the team in scoring Friday evening against Averett with 23 points, Gulotta was right back at it against the host Quakers, sinking 9-of-13 from the floor, including eight-of-12 from three-point range en route to a career-high 26 points.  Gulotta was one of three double-figure scorers for Emory with sophomore Alex Greven and freshman Jake Davis Chipping in 10 apiece.  Gulotta’s eight three-pointers tied Richard Sommers (vs. LaGrange, Nov. 16, 2001) for the school record for most treys in a game.

For the game, Emory sank 40.7 percent from the floor (22-of-54) and sank 12-of-34 from downtown, tying the 11th-highest single game total in school history.  The Eagles were clutch at the foul line as well, converting 13-of-14 from the stripe.

The story of the first half was the Emory defense that limited Guilford to just 16.0 percent (4-of-25) from the floor as it took a 36-22 lead at intermission.  Gulotta picked up 15 points in the stanza, hitting five treys. 

Back-to-back three-pointers by Gulotta keyed an Emory 8-0 spring to start the second half that pushed its lead to 44-22 with 18:46 left in the game.  Guilford battled back with a 12-0 run, capped by a tip-in bucket by Brad Monroe, to draw to within 10 points, 44-34 with 14:49 remaining.  However, the Eagles regained control of the game and bolted back to a 17-point cushion, 57-40 with 8:47 on the clock, following another long-distance bomb by Gulotta.  Guilford was able to draw to within six points on a number of occasions the remainder of the game, but key baskets Davis and Greven, combined with two free throws apiece by Greven and junior Austin Claucnch, kept the Quakers at bay.

Emory returns to action next Saturday (Nov. 27) when it hosts LaGrange College in a 2:00 p.m. start.