Player of the Week: Sager Leads Young Team

One of two seniors on the men's basketball team, Jason Sager has been a top performer for three years at EMU. This season he has once again started out in good form, and has been chosen as athlete of the week after leading the Royals in scoring in each of their first four contests.

The Royals opened their season the weekend before Thanksgiving with the EMU tournament, hosting first Lancaster Bible and then Southern Virginia. In Friday's 88-71 win over Lancaster Bible, Sager narrowly missed a triple-double, finishing with 16 points, ten assists, and nine rebounds. On Saturday, Sager hit nine of fourteen field goals, including three of four from beyond the arc, and added seven free throws to finish with 28 points on the game. He also grabbed 12 rebounds, and afterwards was named to the All-tournament team.

Last Tuesday, the Royals traveled to Shenandoah University. Sager once again turned out big numbers, but it was not quite enough as EMU fell 83-81. He led all players in scoring with 27 points, knocking down five of five from the charity stripe and two out of three three-point attempts. On the boards, Sager also led all players with 17 rebounds, and tallied two blocked shots in addition.

This past Monday the Royals returned from Thanksgiving break looking to beat Ferrum College. Sager and junior Jered Lyons each netted 16 points for EMU, while Sager also pulled down nine boards to lead the team to a 73-67 win.

Last year, Sager was named first team all-ODAC and second team all region, and looks on pace for further honors this year. He currently leads the conference in rebounding (11.8 per game) and stands third in scoring (21.8 points per game), although the ODAC has yet to begin in-conference play. This weekend Sager and the Royals will be at Bridgewater to play Greensboro and Valley Forge.