ANDERSON, S.C. - Sophomore guard Maurice Howard's two free throws with 4.3 seconds on the clock proved to be the difference, as the Anderson men's basketball team defeated Catawba, 74-72, in South Atlantic Conference play Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.

Anderson (6-18, 4-14 SAC) halted a 10-game skid while avenging an earlier seven-point loss at the hands of the Indians. Catawba fell to 10-14 overall and 8-10 in the league with its third straight road loss after earlier posting a three-game win streak.

Freshman guard Randall Shaw dropped in 21 points for the Trojans, while going 6-of-15 from the field and 7-of-8 from the charity stripe, with junior guard Lex Davis tossing in 15 points, including 10 in the opening half. Junior center Rakish Taylor pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.

Anderson dominated the battle of the boards, pulling down 45 rebounds while Catawba grabbed 26. The Indians converted 10 AU turnovers into 20 points, but the Trojans outscored Catawba by 14 in the paint.

Catawba scored the first basket of the game, but the Trojans quickly took the advantage with a 9-2 run and held the lead for more than 34 minutes of the game.

After the Indians trimmed AU's lead to just 15-12 with 12:36 left in the first half, Shaw scored five straight points in a two-minute span for the Black and Gold, but Catawba responded by outscoring the Trojans, 18-7 over the next six minutes to claim its largest lead of the contest, at 30-27, at the 4:26 mark.

Shaw erased the three-point deficit with a traditional three-point play and the Trojans would not trail the rest of the way after Davis put the Trojans ahead with a short jumper.

Leading by five at the break, the Trojans' Maurice Howard and Fields opened the second half with five unanswered points to build AU's cushion to double digits with 18:55 on the clock.

Catawba got as close as three points four times inside the final four minutes and eventually tied the score at 72-72 with 16.1 seconds on the clock, setting up Howard's heroics, while the Indians' Rakeen Brown misfired on a last-second attempt to win the game.

Anderson will get back on the hardwood Wednesday, when the Trojans visit Brevard for the final time as conference opponents, as the Tornados will be transitioning to NCAA D-III prior to next season. Tip-off in the Tar Heel State is scheduled for 8 p.m.