WINCHESTER, VA – The William Peace University men's basketball team opened Shenandoah University's BB&T Classic with a 70-66 win over the Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College Saturday evening. The Pacers improve to 3-2, advancing to play Shenandoah in Sunday's championship game at 4:00 p.m.

WPU led by two early on (28-26), until Elizabethtown went on an 11-0 run to jump out to a nine-point, 37-28, lead with 2:33 left in the first. Ryan Emfinger scored the final eight points of the half though for an 8-0 swing and the Pacers trailed at the break, 37-36.

It was either team's game for the taking with 11 ties and 17 lead changes in the contest. Terry Rogers hit a three to give WPU their largest lead of the day, 60-54, with 5:47 to play. Elizabethtown (1-5) pulled even at 62 with less than two minutes remaining, but Chris Thomas knocked in a triple and then two more from the free-throw line to seal the victory.    

The Pacers only shot 35.6% (21-of-59) from the field, but they made a season high 14 three-pointers (out of 37, 37.8%). The Jays went 29-of-56 (51.8%) from the field but didn't convert on a single shot from beyond the arc. WPU also went 14-of-19 (73.7%) from the stripe, outrebound the Jays, 37-3, and turned them over 14 times for 17 points at the other end.

Thomas led the way for WPU with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds to go along with an assists and a blocked shot. Nate Strother finished with 14 points, four rebounds and a steal. Emfinger notched 11 points, four assists and a steal. Rogers added 10 points, four rebounds and four assists.

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