ANDERSON, S.C. - The Trojan men's and women's basketball
doubleheader at Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday will be
televised nationally on CBS Sports Net as the NCAA Division II
Basketball Games of the Week.
Tip-off for the women's game versus the Royals is scheduled 11:30
a.m. at Curry Arena-Levine Center, while the men's game is slated
to get underway at 2 p.m. Saturday's nationally-televised contests
mark the first meeting this season between the teams.
The women's squad enters the weekend with a 12-3 overall record and continues to fight for the lead in the South Atlantic Conference standings, as they hold a 9-2 league record and sit alone in second place. With their 70-57 win over Brevard on Wednesday, AU is currently riding a five-game winning streak, marking its longest winning stretch of the season.
Anderson's offense has been well-rounded all season long, as senior sharpshooter Lesley Woods is the lone Trojan to average double-figure scoring with a 12.4 ppg. mark. On Wednesday, Woods became the third Trojan in program history to reach 200 made 3-pointers for their career, as she is currently the only player in the SAC with 50 or more made 3-pointers this season.
Also leading the Trojan attack is senior guard Sierra Simpson who clogs up the stat sheet averaging 9.6 points per game, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists. Despite her 5-foot-6 frame, Simpson ranks eighth in the program's all-time rebounding list with 534, while also ranking fifth in assists with 368.
The Black and Gold are currently 6-2 away from the Abney Athletic Center on the year, matching last season's road win total. Within the six wins, Anderson has won three-in-a-row on the road capped off by sealing the season sweep over last season's regular-season SAC champion, Lenoir-Rhyne, on Jan. 7.
The Trojan men have suffered setbacks in four of their last five outings and are looking to snap a two-game skid on Saturday afternoon. Prior to last season, the Trojans and Royals had not met since the 2009-10 campaign when both were members of Conference Carolinas, but met three times in 41 days last season including a conference tournament quarterfinal matchup. The two teams split the regular-season matchups, which were decided by a total of three points, with the Trojans claiming a 76-65 win in the SAC Tournament. The two programs have squared off on 29 occasions, with Queens holding a decisive 20-9 advantage in the all-time series.
Four of the Trojans' losses this season have come by an average of just four points, with one early setback coming in overtime. Preseason All-Conference selection Myson Jones leads three Trojans in double figures on the season with his 12.8 points per game, while fellow seniors Nick Jackson and Chris Ross add 11.9 points and 11.1 points per contest, respectively. Jackson has averaged a team-high 16.0 points per game over the last four contests, including a career-high 22 points in the home win over Mars Hill. Led by the 6-foot-4 guard's 42.0 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, the Trojans are third in the league in 3-point shooting at 39.4 percent.
Queens, led by juniors Sean Morgan and Rob Lewis's 15.1 points
per game average, is in a three-way tie for second place in the
conference standings, alongside Newberry and Wingate.
Saturday's twin bill marks the first-ever national television games
for Queens and the Anderson women's team. The AU men's squad
stunned then-12th ranked Lincoln Memorial, 67-66, in Harrogate,
Tenn., in their Game of the Week telecast during the 2012-2013
season.
NOTES:
AU Student Activities is sponsoring a fan bus for the trip and is
selling t-shirts for fans wanting to support the Trojans on
Saturday. A "watch party" for both games is tentatively scheduled
for Agnew Dining Hall. Aramark will be providing game day foods
(popcorn chicken, nachos, hotdogs/ burgers, etc.) and there will be
chips and desserts between lunch and dinner.
Queens will be hosting a QU versus AU Shoot for Cash Contest during the men's halftime. Two participants from Queens and two from Anderson will be randomly selected for a chance to play. Participants will have 30 seconds to make a layup, free-throw, three-pointer, and half-court shot (in that order with unlimited attempts at the first three shots) for a chance to win $10,000.
In addition to selling tickets at $1 per ticket, the first 25 fans through the door will be entered into the contest for free. (Participants may not be a current or former professional or semi-professional basketball player or coach who has played or coached at that level anywhere in the world; a current or former college or Olympic basketball player or coach who has played or coached at that level anywhere in the world.)
Ticket Prices:
$9.00- Adults (anyone 18+)
$5.00- Children (17 and under) and non-Queens students with valid
college ID
Free- Children 3 and under
CLICK
HERE for further ticket information.
The CBS Sports Network is available locally in the Anderson area as
following:
Charter Cable: Channel 303
Charter Cable: Channel 818 (HD)
DIRECTV®: Channel 221 & 221(HD)
DISH® Network: Channel 158 & 158 (HD)
Or CLICK HERE to find the service in your area.
