SALISBURY, N.C. – Using a balanced scoring attack, the Anderson men's basketball team got back in the win column with a hard-fought, 73-67, win over Catawba in South Atlantic Conference action, Saturday afternoon at Goodman Gym.
Anderson (11-13, 9-9 SAC) earned a split of the season series with the Indians and posted their 12th win in 15 meetings with Catawba (16-8, 10-8 SAC), which has dropped two straight decisions after posting a six-game win streak.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore guard Randall Shaw poured in a game-high 21 points and pulled down a team-best six rebounds. Freshman center Carlos Dotson netted 15 points, while guard Lex Davis added 14 points and five boards. Junior guard Maurice Howard tallied 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Neither team led by more than eight points and the first half featured six ties and seven lead changes.
The Indians surged out to an 8-2 lead to open the game, marking their largest lead of the contest with 17:01 on the clock. But Howard dropped in a pair of free throws that sparked an identical 8-2 run by the Trojans over the next three minutes and Shaw capped the run with back-to-back layups that knotted the score at 10 apiece at the 13 minute mark. Dotson followed with two close baskets that gave AU a 14-10 edge, but that lead marked the largest advantage by either team until Davis dropped in a layup and Shaw followed with a 3-pointer to give the Trojans a 32-26 lead with 5:07 remaining in the half and AU went to the break holding a 36-33 advantage.
Second Half
The Trojans maintained the lead for the first 9:59 of the second frame, but it was not more than two possessions and Catawba's Jermeel Taylor, who was a perfect 14-of-14 from the charity stripe on the night, knotted the score at 52-52 midway through the half. AU responded with a 9-2 outburst that gave the Trojans a lead they would not surrender.
Catawba would get no closer than four the rest of the way, with Dotson and Howard each going a perfect 4-for-4 at the free throw line inside the final three minutes to seal the victory.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans have dished out double-figure assists in 11 of their last 13 games.
• Junior guard Maurice Howard has averaged 17.7 points over the last three games on the strength of 13-of-28 (46.4%) shooting from the field, while going 26-of-29 (89.7%) from the charity stripe and averaging 4.0 assists per game
UP NEXT
The Trojans play host to Brevard on Wednesday night, before closing out their road slate with a two-game road swing at Lenoir-Rhyne and Lincoln Memorial. AU opened the month of January with a 97-82 win over the Tornados. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.
