CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Clayton State senior forward Alfonso Davis dropped in a layup with less than two minutes on the clock to snap the game's seventh tie, as Clayton State edged Anderson, 64-62, in nonconference men's basketball action in the opening game of the 2016 Embassy Suites South Atlantic Conference-Peach Belt Conference Challenge, Friday night at Queens' Curry Arena.
In its fifth appearance in the SAC-PBC Challenge, Anderson (0-1) is now 9-8 in season-openers over the past 17 campaigns. Clayton State (1-0) claimed its second win in three overall meetings with the Trojans.
AU junior guard Warren Vinson led all scorers with 22 points on the strength of 6-of14 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 accuracy from the free throw line. Freshman center Carlos Dotson recorded his first career double-double with a career-high 18 points and 14 rebounds. Despite being hampered with early foul trouble, sophomore guard Randall Shaw added eight points, while junior guard Maurice Howard tallied seven points and dished out four assists.
Davis led Clayton State with 15 points while junior guard Nathan Powell finished with 14 points, seven boards, two assists and a pair of steals. Freshman forward Ti Lewis added 10 points and four rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Dotson scored four of the Trojans' first seven points, sandwiching a pair of baskets around a 3-pointer from Shaw to give the Trojans a 7-4 edge with 15:32 left in the opening half. But the Lakers countered with an 11-3 run to claim a 15-10 advantage at the 10:39 mark.
Back-to-back baskets in the paint from Dotson kept the Trojans close over the next minute, but Clayton State opened a 23-14 lead with more than five minutes left in the opening half, before AU closed the frame with an 11-6 surge to trim the deficit to 29-25 at the break.
Second Half
The second frame featured six ties and four lead changes, with Clayton State pushing back out to a double-digit, 39-29, lead with 17:43 left in the contest.
Dotson, Vinson and Howard answered with consecutive buckets to pull AU within 39-36 with more than 15 minutes remaining and Vinson scored 12 straight points for the Trojans over a four-minute span to give the Black and Gold a 52-49 edge at the 8:40 mark.
Neither team was able to build more than a three-point lead in the final minutes, with Davis' lay-in at the 1:44 mark providing the Lakers' winning margin.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE GAME
The Trojans out-rebounded Clayton State by nine boards (48-39) and out-scored CSU, 11-9, in second-chance points.
NOTABLES
• Dotson's 18 points and 14 rebounds marked career-highs for the redshirt freshman from Spartanburg, S.C.
• Vinson and Dotson combined for 40 points on the night.
UP NEXT
Anderson will get back on the court quickly, as the Trojans will wrap up the SAC-PBC Challenge by squaring off against Armstrong State, Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. at Curry Arena.
