Young Harris, Ga. -- In a matchup of NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball Team opened the season with a 21-point victory over Emmanuel. Five players scored in double figures for the Bears, led by 20 points from junior R.J. Gunn.  

Inside the Matchup:
Final:  Lenoir-Rhyne 91, Emmanuel 70
Records: Lenoir-Rhyne (1-0), Emmanuel (0-1 )
Location: YHC Basketball Arena I Young Harris, Ga.

Stats of the Game:

• R.J. Gunn scored 11 points in the first half as LR shot 55.6 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. The Bears led 39-33 going into the break as Emmanuel had a 20-12 advantage on the boards. 
• Lenoir-Rhyne outscored the Lions 52-37 in the second half and went 9-for-15 from three point range in the final frame. 
• Gunn finished with a game-high 20 points and added six rebounds. Davion Bradford added 15 points and Darius Simmons chipped in 14. Mason Hawks tallied 13 points, six assists and four rebounds. 
• The LR defense held Emmanuel to 40.4 percent shooting from the floor and 21.1 percent from long range. 
• For the game, the Bears finished with 13 3-pointers on 26 attempts. In 2018-19, LR had five games with 13 or more made 3-pointers. 
• The 14 steals match the most in a game since November 9, 2018 against Young Harris. There has only been three games of 14 steals in the past five years.

Beyond the Box Score:

• The Bears defeated Emmanuel 91-87 inside Shuford Gym last season. 
• This is only the second all-time matchup between the two programs. 
• LR went 3-0 against Conference Carolinas foes last season
• Emmanuel entered the NCAA Division II Tournament as the No. 8 seed but only lost to No. 1 seed Queens 76-72. The Royals would advance to the Elite 8.
• The Bears never trailed in the game. 

Up Next: LR returns tomorrow to take on Young Harris at 4 p.m.