ANDERSON, S.C. – With five players reaching double-figure scoring for the sixth time this season, the Anderson men's basketball team wrapped up its regular-season home slate by rolling past Catawba, 82-66, in South Atlantic Conference action, Wednesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
"It was a total team win tonight," said Anderson head coach Jeff Brookman. "After our worst defensive effort of the season against Mars Hill, we bounced back and defended for most of the game. This is a resilient group of guys. We seem to always find a way to bounce back after tough loses."
Anderson (17-10, 12-9 SAC) clinched at least the fifth seed in next week's SAC Tournament by winning their second game in three outings, while Catawba (18-9, 13-8 SAC) dropped its third straight decision.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior guard Quin Nottingham netted a team-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and dished out a game-high five assists, with Crosby James II adding 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Senior guard Shawn Benard tallied 16 points, six rebounds and three assists, while sophomore forward Satchel Hester scored 14 points. Junior forward Josh Livingston posted his third double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Catawba senior guard RJ Robinson opened the scoring by dropping in a pair of free throws inside the game's opening minute and the Indians led the game for 14 seconds until Hester drained the first of three straight treys to give AU a 9-2 lead less than three minutes into the contest.
Three minutes later, Benard and Nottingham dropped in back-to-back layups and the Trojans led, 13-2, with 14:35 on the clock.
The Indians chiseled away at the AU advantage and climbed within 22-20, before James slowed the Catawba comeback by scoring the Trojans' next six points and AU rebuilt a seven-point lead with five minutes left in the first half. The Indians again pulled within 33-32 on a trey by Devin Cooper, but Livingston matched the 3-pointer with one of his own and AU scored the next six points to hold a double-digit, 42-32, lead at the break.
Second Half
The Trojans roared out of the break on a 23-9 scoring outburst and built their largest lead of the night, at 65-41, midway through the second stanza and behind 61 percent shooting in the second frame, AU equaled the 24-point advantage with 9:19 remaining.
The closest Catawba got over the final nine minutes was the final 16-point margin.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans shot a season-high 92.9 percent (13-of-14) from the free throw line.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans held Catawba to 36.1% shooting from the field – the lowest by an opponent this season.
• AU held the Indians to 66 points – 22 below their scoring average on the season.
• The Trojans have handed out at least 11 assists in 11 straight games.
• The Trojans and Indians battled to a stalemate on the boards, with each team pulling down 33 rebounds.
• Crosby James has drained at least one 3-pointer in 12 consecutive games.
• The Trojans have surpassed last year's win total.
• The Trojans have scored 82 points in each of their last three games.
• AU has clinched at least the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament.
• The Trojans have clinched a winning record in SAC play.
• AU has earned the most wins in a season since the 2013-14 team won 22 games
• The Trojans improved to 9-4 at home on the season.
• With one game remaining on the regular-season schedule, the Trojans are alone in fifth place in the conference standings, one game behind Tusculum and Catawba, and two games in front of Mars Hill and Lenoir-Rhyne. The top four teams in the standings will host a SAC Tournament Quarterfinal game on Wednesday, March 4.
UP NEXT
AU will wrap up the regular season Saturday afternoon at league-leading and second-ranked Lincoln Memorial. Tip-off versus the Railsplitters at Tex Turner Arena is scheduled for 4 p.m.
