ANDERSON, S.C. – The guard tandem of Shawn Benard and Quin Nottingham combined for 47 points, but second-half shooting woes from the charity stripe proved pivotal, as the Anderson men's basketball team dropped a 90-81 decision to Wingate in South Atlantic Conference action, Wednesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
"Obviously, we are disappointed with the outcome of the game," said Anderson head coach Jeff Brookman. "We have to get to the point where we are the team making winning plays down the stretch. We will continue to stay committed to the process of getting better every day and take it one game at a time."
Anderson slipped to 7-6 overall and 2-5 in league play, and has lost two straight for just the second time this season. Wingate improved to 6-7 overall and 2-5 in the SAC with its second straight win after snapping a seven-game losing skid last weekend.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Nottingham led the Trojans with 26 points and seven rebounds, while dishing out a game-high five assists and swiping a pair of steals. Benard tossed in 21 points behind a career-high five 3-pointers, with freshman guard Crosby James coming off the bench to net a career-best 15 points. Sophomore forward Satchel Hester tallied 11 points and four rebounds, with sophomore center Jason Edwards grabbing five boards.
Junior Miguel Priest led five Bulldogs in double figures with 28 points. Sophomore Jarren Cottingham added 15 points, with senior Jakob Dawkins posting 12 points. Junior forward Quantra Taylor and Francis Sio each scored 11 points apiece for Wingate.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The score was knotted four times inside the opening five minutes of action, with Hester's second 3-pointer of the night giving the Trojans a 12-9 edge with exactly 14 minutes on the clock, and following three more lead changes, the Black and Gold snapped a 15-15 deadlock with six unanswered points to claim their largest lead of the night, at 21-15, with 9:23 left in the opening frame.
The Trojans held the advantage for the next four minutes, but were unable to build more than a four-point lead. It was then Wingate's turn to claim the advantage at the 2:00 minute mark, with Priest's layup giving the Bulldogs a 34-32 edge and the visitors led, 43-37, at the break.
Second Half
The Trojans stayed within at least three possessions of Wingate, but were unable to catch the 'Dogs through the first 13 minutes of the final half - until Benard drained a trey from the right wing that tied the contest at 73 apiece with 6:40 on the clock.
Priest countered with a layup 14 seconds later, with Nottingham sinking 1-of-2 from the line and freshman forward Mack Burgett dropped in a one-touch layup off an assist from a driving Nottingham at the 5:27 mark that gave AU its first lead since the 4:59 mark of the first half.
The lead was short-lived however, as the Bulldogs responded with 10 straight points over the next 2:23 to claim a lead they would not surrender. A jumper by Nottingham with 85 seconds remaining pulled the Trojans within 85-79, but they would not get any closer, with Wingate connecting on 5-of-6 free throws in the final seconds to hold on for the win.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans were a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe in the first half, but struggled by going 7-of-19 (36.8%) in the second half.
NOTABLES
• Wingate out-rebounded the Trojans, 36-31 on the night.
• The score was tied nine times and the lead changed hands 11 times.
• Just one player fouled out, but the 45 combined fouls whistled on the night topped the previous season-high 42 combined fouls called in the Queens contest on Nov. 26. That's the most since 67 fouls were called on both teams in AU's double-overtime setback to Lincoln Memorial on Dec. 12, 2018.
• AU's 57.1% free throw shooting on the night equaled its third-lowest of the season.
• The Trojans suffered their first home loss of the season, slipping to 4-1 at the Abney Center, and saw their home win streak snapped at seven straight.
• The Trojans have handed out double-digit assists in six consecutive games.
• Wingate holds an 18-8 edge in the all-time series.
UP NEXT
Anderson goes back on the road for another one-game road swing, when the Trojans venture to Mars Hill on Saturday. Tip-off versus the Lions at Stanford Arena is slated for 4 p.m.
