NEWBERRY, S.C. – Using a flurry of 3-pointers midway through the second frame, the Anderson men's basketball team nearly overcame a 17-point second-half deficit, but ultimately dropped a 62-53 decision to Newberry, in the South Atlantic Conference opener for both squads, Wednesday night at Eleazer Arena.
"We played really well in the second half," said Anderson head coach Jimmie Williams. "But at the end of the day we didn't start well at all, and it cost us the game, and that's on me. We are still working to get a consistent effort out of our young guys. We started two freshmen, two sophomores, and a junior tonight. They are getting valuable game reps that will certainly help their growth. It's our mentality we have to continue to develop. You'll never make it to the promised land with a wilderness mentality. We will get it there I know it. Satchel (Hester) and Garrett (Denbow) gave us a big boost off the bench tonight. When we went on our run in the second half, they were both on the floor. Both were ready to play tonight. We are going to need more of that as we continue to grow our depth. Thankful we have a group that wants to get better."
Anderson (2-7, 0-1 SAC) suffered its fourth consecutive setback, while Newberry improved to 7-2 and 1-0 by stretching its win streak to seven games.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Guard Myles Jenkins led the Trojans with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, while also pulling down a team-high seven rebounds. The sophomore from Lexington also swiped three steals and dished out two assists. Junior guard Garrett Denbow added 10 points, two rebounds and a pair of assists, with senior forward Satchel Hester coming off the bench for nine points and two boards.
Freshman guard Luke Denbow tossed in eight points, while grabbing four rebounds, handing out two assists and recording three steals. Sophomore guard Jacksen Greco also netted eight points and recorded four rebounds. Junior forward Mack Burgett handed out a game-high five assists and pulled down four rebounds.
Newberry senior forward QuanDaveon McCollum posted a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds, with teammate TJ Brown notching 10 points and four assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Behind Luke Denbow's five points, the Trojans steadily opened a five point, 12-7, lead inside the first eight minutes of the contest, but the Anderson offense then stalled, with the Black and Gold going more than 10 minutes before scoring another point – when Burgett sank the first of two free throw attempts at the 2:16 mark of the half.
The scoring drought enabled Newberry to outscore the Trojans, 21-3, over the final 12 minutes of the frame and claim a 28-15 advantage at the half.
Second Half
After misfiring on 10 of their 12 three-point attempts in the first half, the Trojans made up for lost ground by connecting on six of their first nine 3-point attempts in the second stanza.
After falling behind by 17 (40-23) with 12:58 left in the contest, the Trojans chipped away and erased nearly all of the deficit, when Garrett Denbow ignited a 16-4 scoring outburst by the Trojans by draining a trey from the right side and Hester followed 22 seconds with a rare four-point play when he connected on a 3-pointer from the right wing while drawing a foul and made the ensuing free throw.
Following a basket by Newberry's Drake Downs, Hester connected on his second straight 3-pointer, with Luke Denbow netting a trey from the left side to pull AU within 42-36 with nearly 11 minutes left in the game. The Trojans were unable to draw even, but kept the margin within three possessions before using a 7-2 surge which was capped by a Jenkins' 3-pointer with less than two minutes on the clock to climb within 57-53.
But the Wolves were 3-of-4 from the free throw line in the final 89 seconds to seal the win.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
After going 2-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first half, the Trojans were 8-for-16 from long range in the second half.
NOTABLES
• The game featured three of the league's top-nine scorers, with Newberry's QuanDaveon McCollum entering the game ranking sixth in the SAC at 16.3 points per contest, while AU's Garrett Denbow (15.6 ppg.) and Luke Denbow (15.5 ppg.) were eighth and ninth, respectively, in the league.
• The Trojans' 15 first-half points marked the lowest-scoring half since posting 20 first-half points at USC Aiken on Nov. 16 and the lowest-scoring half since scoring 17 points in the second half of a 48-45 loss at Erskine on Nov. 18, 2017.
• The game was delayed several minutes in the first half due to scoreboard issue.
• The Wolves entered the game with the league's stingiest defense, limiting opponents to 67.5 points per game, and ranking second in the conference with a +10.3 rebounding margin.
• Tonight marked the first time in 13 seasons that the Trojans opened their conference schedule against Newberry.
• AU leads the overall series with the Wolves, 18-12.
• Newberry won the rebounding battle, 41-30, and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds.
• The Trojans outscored Newberry, 10-4, in points off turnovers.
• Newberry has won three straight past the Trojans.
• The Trojans are 6-7 in league openers since joining the South Atlantic Conference for the 2010-11 campaign.
• Newberry is tied for the league's longest win streak – alongside Lincoln Memorial - at seven straight.
UP NEXT
The Trojans open their longest homestand of the season by welcoming Livingstone to the Electric City on Saturday, then play host to Wingate, Wednesday, Dec. 14 and Lenoir-Rhyne on Saturday, Dec. 17.
Tip-off against the Blue Bears is slated for 4 p.m. at the Abney Athletic Center.
