The men’s basketball team may not have entered the 2009 campaign with much respect after coming off a disappointing 7-18 season, but it took an important first step in the rebuilding process by opening the season with a thrilling 85-81 overtime win at Oglethorpe University on Thursday night.

Regulation play was a tale of two halves, as the Eagles maintained momentum throughout the first period of play. Emory was eight of 12 from beyond the arc and at one point built up its lead by as much as 15 points. The team went into halftime ahead 42-30.

But the Petrels, who were ranked 31st nationally in the preseason poll, stormed back in the second half. A 12-0 Oglethorpe run gave them a 55-54 lead with 8:14 remaining, and the Petrels continued to build their lead to six with less than two minutes to play.

Emory fought back to reduce the deficit to three, and despite only shooting two for eight on three pointers in second half, sophomore guard Alex Gulotta managed to sink the game-tying three with just 18 seconds left.

The Eagles made one final defensive stand on the final possession to force overtime.

“We thought they would go to Todd Ward, a preseason all-American,” Head Coach Jason Zimmerman said. “We did a good job of getting our hands up and forcing them to take a tough shout, and we gave ourselves five more minutes to try to win the game.”

Overtime would prove to be a one-sided contest, though. The Eagles nabbed the first basket 45 seconds in on a layup from sophomore forward Corey Spraggins, and would not relinquish the lead from then on. An Oglethorpe three-pointer would cut the lead to three late, but two Emory layups in the final minute increased clinched the victory.

Spraggins scored seven of Emory’s 13 overtime points.

“We had a good sense of what we were trying to achieve on the offensive side,” senior forward Anthony Fernandez said. “We did a good job letting the game come to us and knowing what Oglethorpe was going to do. We just need to work on finishing when we get ahead on teams.”

Sophomore guard Austin Claunch played 43 minutes and went 7-10 from the field, finishing with both a team and career-high 19 points. His 11 assists tied an Emory single-game record. He was named an Athlete of the Week by Emory’s athletic department for his performance in the game.

“[Claunch] started to play well for us last year,” Zimmerman said. “He made simple plays; he didn’t try to hit home runs. That’s what a point guard needs to do. He’s a leader and he’s got great awareness on the court.”

Junior forward Julien Williams posted 14 points and led the team with 12 rebounds, registering his second collegiate double-double. Spraggins ended the night with 13 points, and five Eagles overall scored in double figures.

The Eagles finished 34-69 from the field, outshooting Oglethorpe 49.3 percent to 45.1 percent. Emory also was six of 10 from the foul line, but was out-rebounded by a margin of 45-38.

“I think in stretches we played very well, but we missed some assignments and gave them life,” Zimmerman said. “We played well enough to win but not as well as we can. We’re not competing against our opponent as much as we’re competing against perfection.”

Zimmerman, who is in his third year as the Eagles’ head coach, has compiled a 17-33 record at Emory, but that number does not tell the whole story.

Last season, the Eagles dropped five games by five points or less, and lost another in overtime. The season before that, Emory’s strength of schedule ranked second in all of Division III.

The team only lost two seniors to graduation and returns both Fernandez and senior forward Chad Hixon, who were honorable mentions to the All-UAA Team last season. Fernandez led the team in scoring last year with 14 points-per-game, followed by Hixon with just under 10. Hixon’s 6.2 boards a game was a team-high and also was good for third in the UAA.

Both players, along with senior guard Dan Curtin, will take on leadership roles heading into their final season.

“We have three seniors who are very capable of leading the team,” Zimmerman said. “It’s not just about their stats, it’s about building work ethic, chemistry and teaching young guys the right way to do it.”

Despite earning a hard fought victory, the team still has plenty to work on in preparation for its next game, against Huntingdon College (Ala.) tomorrow.

“We still have to get better and put 40 minutes together,” Zimmerman said. “They’re very good in transition and we expect a fast-paced game. We’re going to travel to Alabama and have to be ready to go.”

By opening the season with a strong performance against a team like the Petrels, the Eagles feel they will be better prepared to handle Huntingdon’s speed.

“We’re confident that with the experience of the Oglethorpe game, we’ll be familiar enough with their run and gun style of play,” Fernandez said.

The Eagles will head to Huntingdon College today before traveling to LaGrange College (Ga.) for the GABCA Coaches vs. Cancer Thanksgiving Classic.

The team will open the weekend with a game against Maryville College (Tenn.) on Nov. 28, and then will take on the host school the following afternoon. LaGrange will then travel to Emory for the Eagles’ home opener on Dec. 2.

— Contact David Michaels.