ANDERSON, S.C. – Early second-half accuracy from beyond the arc enabled Georgia College and State to overcome Anderson's one-point halftime lead and the Bobcats held off the Trojans, 68-59, in nonconference men's basketball action, Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
"We played well today in spurts and our defense took a step in the right direction," said Anderson head coach Jimmie Williams. "Georgia College made some big plays down the stretch and we missed on a few key opportunities. We have to be better when our best is required. We will get it there. We're excited to prepare for SAC play this week. We will take Sunday off and come back Monday with a plan for a big road game to start conference play. Thankful for all the support. Our crowd was outstanding, especially our student section. Stay with us as we're building. I believe in this team."
Anderson (2-6) suffered its third consecutive setback and first home loss of the season, while Georgia College improved to 4-3 with its third straight victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Luke Denbow scored a game-high 17 points – all inside the first 16 minutes of the game – while going 6-for-16 from the field on the night. Five of the freshman guard's baskets came from beyond the arc and he shared team-high honors with three assists. Sophomore guard Myles Jenkins added 13 hard-earned points behind a career-high nine free throws and shared team-high honors with six rebounds.
Junior forward Mack Burgett scored nine points, pulled down four rebounds, swiped two steals and dished out a pair of assists. Sophomore guard Jacksen Greco netted nine points and grabbed six boards.
Guard Luke Chism led GCSU with 13 points, while Brandon Thomas and Chapin Rierson each chipped in 11 points apiece for the Bobcats.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Behind Luke Denbow, who connected on five of his first six 3-point attempts - with his only other miss coming from inside the arc - the Trojans built a double-digit, 28-18, lead just prior to the third media timeout.
But the Trojans went ice-cold from the field by connecting on just 1-of-8 field goal attempts over the final seven minutes, which enabled the Bobcats to creep back into the contest behind a 12-3 run and pull within 31-30 at the half.
Second Half
Trailing by one, Georgia College came out for the second half on fire, as the Bobcats went 4–for-7 from the field before the first media time out and connected on their first three 3-pointers to turn the one-point deficit into a five-point (39-34) lead with more than 17 minutes left in the game. GCSU steadily built a 52-41 advantage over the next five minutes - its largest of the contest.
But the Trojans answered with a strong 10-2 scoring outburst over a three-minute span with Mack Burgett fueling the surge with four points and Jenkins and Garrett Denbow each adding three apiece, as AU closed within just three, at 54–51, with a little less than eight minutes left in the game.
The two teams then traded four-point runs, before the Bobcats outscored AU 10–4 over the final 4 ½ minutes, with the Trojans managing just two field goals inside the final six minutes of play.
STAT OF THE NIGHT
Anderson's largest lead of the night was 10 points – GCSU's largest lead of the game was 11 points.
NOTABLES
• Saturday's matchup marked the first of six games in a 16-day span for the Trojans
• AU was coming off a six-day layoff, while GCSU was coming off a nine-day layoff.
• Georgia College won the battle of the boards, 38-33.
• The average margin of victory in the prior seven meetings with GCSU was 4.7 points and 2.0 points over the prior three matchups.
• AU slipped to 3-1 against the Bobcats at the Abney Athletic Center.
• The Trojans and Bobcats have met 10 times, with the series even at five wins apiece.
• The Trojans streak of six straight games with double-digit 3-pointers was snapped.
• The Trojans have dished out double-figure assists in seven consecutive games.
• The Trojans have committed double-figure turnovers in eighth straight games.
• Georgia College was the first opponent in seven games to shoot below 50 percent from the field against the Trojans.
UP NEXT
The Trojans open their South Atlantic Conference slate on the road at Newberry Wednesday night, then open their longest homestand of the season by welcoming Livingstone to the Electric City on Saturday, Dec. 10.
