The following Saturday afternoon was just as diverse an affair as the Emerson Lions hosted the Southern Vermont Mountaineers at Pine Manor College.,On Friday night, the world watched as Torino hosted the opening of the Olympic ceremonies and each country presented its greatest athletes for the world to see.

The following Saturday afternoon was just as diverse an affair as the Emerson Lions hosted the Southern Vermont Mountaineers at Pine Manor College. They bosted a roster of four international players.

Unlike the opening ceremony in Torino, however, there was no Neve or Gliz and no berets, just fireworks between the two squads.

The Lions would find themselves at the losing end of the 87-83 contest.

Despite winning seven of the past nine games, the Lions struggled out of the gate, giving up a 12-point deficit to the athletically inclined Southern Vermont squad in the first half.

The Lions scratched and clawed their way back into the game, narrowing the gap down to two at halftime.

Despite the quick turn around, Head Coach Hank Smith was not pleased with the squad’s defending.”Our defense was beyond pitiful,” Smith said. He later said “defense wins games [and] we didn’t defend well.”

When asked what he would like to see the team improve upon in the second half, Smith said: “How about giving an effort, pressuring the ball, and denying the wings?”

The wings are the areas between the paint and the three-point arc.