After the visitors scored the first bucket, the Royals quickly scored the next nine to take over the lead. With the score 13-6, EMU pinned down Randolph and rolled into halftime with a 39-16 lead.

The WildCats connected on only three field goals in the first 20 minutes, shooting just 13.6% from the floor. They didn’t get into double figures until 6:56 remained in the half.

For Eastern Mennonite, team defense defined the period as they forced 13 turnovers. The men played most of the half without Todd Phillips (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro) who picked up three quick fouls. Five different players had scored six points by halftime.

The second half didn’t have the tension of the first, as the game was never in doubt. EMU led by as many as 45 en route to the 85-50 win.

“That’s what we want to do,” said Coach Kirby Dean. “We want to play with that kind of defensive intensity.”

The Runnin Royals held Randolph to just 27.8% shooting in the game including 4-12 from three point range. The WildCats even struggled from the free throw line, connecting on 16-of-27 for 59%.

EMU was 33-66 from the floor including a blazing 12-of-26 in triples. The men were 7-10 from the stripe.

“I’ve been telling the guys from day one that if we come out with that defensive mentality, then we’re really tough to beat,” Dean said afterwards. “If we come out flat, we’re an OK defensive team, but we’re not going to string together many wins. If we play like this we can make a run.”

Phillips was good for 13 points in the second half and finished with a game high 19 along with six rebounds. D.J. Hinson (Newport News, Va./Menchville) and R.J. Sims (Fort Washington, Md./Friendly) each hit a trio of three pointers and finished with 12.

Freshman Vance Washington (Winchester, Va./Handley) also canned three triples and tied his career high with 11 points. Eli Crawford (Staunton, Va./R.E. Lee) made his mark on the boards, leading all players with 10 rebounds.

EMU didn’t allow any of the WildCats to score in double figures. Leading scorer Colton Hunt was limited to just five points, 11.5 below his season average.

The Runnin Royals have now won three in a row since losing at Randolph on Jan. 22 and are 16-4 overall and 7-4 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. The WildCats fall to 15-6 and 8-4 in the ODAC. EMU is at rival Bridgewater next Wednesday.

“These Mennonites are dedicated when it comes to studying,” he says, smiling. “I’ll see them heading to the Campus Center at 1-2 a.m. for a study group. I’m shaking my head, thinking I’m going to bed if it’s that late.”

Strong work ethic

Regardless, anyone who has seen Crawford play will soon realize that there is no lack of work ethic when it comes to his game. Now a senior, he says that extends to the classroom as well.

“I may not always get the top grade, but I will always work to attain the highest grade when it comes to effort,” Crawford states. “This applies to all areas of my life, on and off the court and academically.”

“Coach Kirby Dean keeps me accountable as well,” Crawford adds. “I’ll be talking in class or listening to a lecture and look over to find Coach sitting beside me. The guy will just sneak up on you like that, but I appreciate that he cares about all areas of my life. That extends to the EMU community as a whole. I definitely made the right choice. They treat you as family here.”

(Crawford was recently interviewed on the radio program “Inbounds with Mac MacDonald.” Listen to the interview online)

One tough decision

The Staunton, Va., native had many athletic options coming out of high school. He not only excelled at basketball, but was a star football player as well and was initially recruited by several large universities for gridiron play.

“It was a tough choice between the two for a while. I was versatile on the football field, playing quarterback, receiver, corner, tailback and having a number of record kick returns. In the end, I realized that my passion was basketball. I started playing when I was 4 or 5.”

Had it not been for his basketball decision, Crawford likely wouldn’t have ended up on EMU’s campus. He credits God for leading him here and for giving him a love for children. Crawford’s major is liberal arts with an emphasis on recreation and sports, and he sees himself continuing to be a positive role model for kids in the future.

“I stayed out of trouble as a kid, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t had my times of personal adversity,” he said. “I can see God’s work in my life, and I want to extend that knowledge to the next generation and be there for others the way that people have been there for me.”

Playing basketball as a team

The idea of “community” that is cited often by EMU students is exemplified in Crawford’s worldview and approach to athletics. Asked about the best part of his game, he replies: “It’s never based on me. I’ve always approached basketball as it should be played – as a team sport. I’m constantly checking with the coaching staff to see what areas I can work on to improve my contribution to the team.”

There is much excitement about the 2010-2011 season, with EMU’s men’s team having won the Old Dominican Athletic Conference regular season title last year, reaching the Elite Eight in NCAA Tournament play and finishing fourth in the final NCAA Division III basketball poll.

“I’m ready to get in there and see what we can do this year,” he says. “One of my biggest focuses has been working with the incoming freshman and making sure the chemistry is there with the younger guys.”

Crawford also has a message for the fans: “I hope you come out to all the games this year. We’ve worked hard, and we’ll give you our top effort each time we take the court.”

After handing non-conference opponent Ferrum its first loss of the year on Jan. 3, the Royals are 9-1 overall and ranked No. 10 in the nation. With the bulk of the ODAC season ahead of them, the men are also 2-1 in league play.

Crawford radio interview on “Inbounds” available online

Eastern Mennonite men’s basketball player Eli Crawford (Staunton, Va./R.E. Lee) was interviewed on “Inbounds with Mac McDonald,” and the audio from that is now available on the EMU website. The sports talk radio show is heard around Virginia on weekday afternoons.

Crawford talks about playing for Coach Kirby Dean, choosing to focus on basketball out of high school, and how he has grown through his time at EMU.

The audio is available through EMU Athletic Director Dave King’s blog “Inside Athletics.” King also produces a weekly podcast where he takes a deeper look at impacting students through athletics at Eastern Mennonite. The podcast posts weekly every Friday.

Listen to Eli Crawford’s interview

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First Team All-ODAC the high-flying Runnin’ Royals open their season with a game at midnight on November 15.

When Kirby Dean was a child, his mother used to tell him that nothing good happens after midnight. Dean is hoping to change that.

His 草莓社区 men’s basketball team will tip off its season at the first minute possible – midnight, Nov. 15 – in a game against Lancaster Bible.

"There’s probably not another Division III team that can say they play before us," Dean said Wednesday.

The seventh-year coach said the NCAA calendar made Sunday, Nov. 15, the first date a team could play. Not wanting to schedule an extra Sunday game for religious regions, but hoping to start the season as soon as possible, Dean contacted Lancaster Bible coach Pete Beers.

And, after both men got approval from their school’s higher-ups, they scheduled the midnight meeting.

"I thought it was a unique opportunity to kick off the season," Beers said Wednesday by phone from Lancaster. "I think any time you’re in Division III, you’re trying to find creative ways to make the experience unique and special. This is unique and special."

What kind of crowd can EMU expect with a tip-off that Beers admitted is "past my bedtime"? While the Royals’ retirement-community fans – generally a big part of the attendance at Yoder Arena – probably won’t be keen on the late-night game, Dean and EMU athletic director Dave King said they hope the time does attract a large student crowd.

"I think it hypes the season," King said. "It creates a lot of excitement. Kids are going to be up and into it. They’re going to be up anyway."

What about the players?

"I can’t speak for everybody, I know I’m going to be up just like it’s 6 in the afternoon," said. "The excitement and the adrenaline … It’ll probably hurt the next day."

Beers, who said his team will probably make the nearly three-hour trip to Harrisonburg during the day Saturday, then take a nap, echoed that sentiment.

"I think the adrenaline from being the first game will probably keep us going," Beers said. "We’ll pay the price the next morning."

EMU went 15-11 last year but returns much of its lineup and has added a strong recruiting class, led by and .

The usually outspoken Johnson said there is excitement on campus for the Royals’ year, but he didn’t want to make any bold predictions Wednesday.

"Last year I ran into this problem where I said we were going to do this and do that," Johnson said. "Then we got down into the ODAC and I stunk it up. This year, we have the most talent we’ve had since I’ve been here. I think we’re going to be way better than last year. I’ll just leave it at that."

Eli Crawford knows what you might be thinking. Yes, he took a year off from college basketball, but that doesn’t mean he’s been lying on his couch, dogging Cheetos and pizza, and packing on the pounds.

"I’ve been keeping myself basketball-ready," Crawford said Thursday after officially paying his deposit and enrolling at 草莓社区. "When it comes time for the first game of the season, I will be ready. A lot of people might be thinking with a year off, I’ve been sitting on my butt doing nothing. That’s not true."

That’s what EMU coach Kirby Dean is counting on. Dean is hoping to get the same player who helped lead R.E. Lee High School to three straight Group AA state title games. The guy who was named the AA Player of the Year as a senior. (Read more about EMU men’s basketball.)

‘A winner at every level,’ says coach

"The biggest reason I wanted him is, he’s been such a winner at every level," Dean said Thursday. "How often do you have a chance to get a kid who played in three straight title games and won two of them?"

More importantly, Dean said, he always saw Crawford as a kid who wanted the ball late in the game and in clutch situations.

"I love kids who aren’t afraid to be the goat," Dean said. "If you’re not afraid of failing, you have the chance to be successful."

Crawford, 21, will have two years of eligibility at EMU. He played as a freshman at Central Florida Community College, then spent his sophomore year at Potomac State in West Virginia. He considered playing for Bridgewater College last year, but did not, in part because of the retirement of longtime Eagles coach Bill Leatherman.

This summer, he turned his attention to EMU, visiting campus, and attending open gyms and summer camps at the Division III school. Crawford took classes at Blue Ridge Community College and worked out with his uncle, former R.E. Lee star and North Carolina starter Kevin Madden.

Crawford just wants to contribute

Crawford said he’s not joining the Royals to become the team’s star or focal point – just a contributor in Dean’s uptempo style of play.

"I’m not going in there to be the man or do anything like that," Crawford said. "I’m just going in there to help them guys win some games."

Dean said he anticipates Crawford to become a major factor for EMU, which went 15-11 last year.

"I don’t think we would take a kid like that with two years eligibility unless we thought they’d instantly be a contributor," Dean said. "We expect him to be a difference-maker right away."

And, Dean said, he thinks the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Crawford will mesh nicely with Dean’s defense-begets-offense approach.

"I don’t think you could fit any better," Dean said. "He’s cut out perfectly for the uptempo style that we play and the transition game we try to stress. He can shoot, he can handle and he can put the ball on the floor and go to the hole. And he’s a good defender. He really brings a lot to the table."

Region’s other stars join roster, too

Also, Dean said former Culpeper County High School star Patrick Thornhill, a 6-2 shooting guard, will be joining the team. In all, EMU is adding nine recruits plus three invited walk-ons. The Royals are expecting to return five players and Dean said he will carry 14 on the roster this season.

EMU, which opens practice Oct. 15, is also considering fielding a junior varsity team that could possibly play Hargrave Military Academy, Fork Union Military Academy and High Point’s JV squad, among others.