WINGATE, N.C. – Paced by a career-high 40-point performance by forward Jalen Hillery and a school-record 3-point barrage, the Anderson men's basketball team wrapped up a two-game South Atlantic Conference road swing by rolling past Wingate, 97-66, Wednesday night at Cuddy Arena.
"To God be the glory! We've praised Him in tough times and we will praise Him tonight," said Anderson head coach Jimmie Williams. "So thankful for a team that buys in completely and loves each other. Tonight was a huge program win - 26 assists and a record-setting night from 3! When we play like that it's a lot of fun. Guys were just out there sharing the ball. The ball finds energy. Jalen (Hillery) and Garrett (Denbow) finished great possessions by making shots, but they were all shots we work to get. So proud of our team's commitment to how we play and I couldn't be happier they get to see the fruits of their labor. JHill setting the school record for threes in a game tonight is something I'll never forget. He wasn't sure if he was coming back for his fifth year when I was first hired, and he was injured for a large part of the preseason and has seen limited moments in the first half of the season, but for the last few weeks he's been outstanding. This is no surprise to any of us. When I pull into Abney in the morning and hear a ball bouncing, there's a great chance it's him. I'm so glad he decided to come back and I couldn't be happier for him. He also scored his thousandth point last week and will be honored at home on Saturday. He's such an energy guy and it permeates through our whole program when he's out there. When we put our focus on defense and play connected on offense we will continue to get great results. So excited to get back home for a huge two game homestand in Abney. I love this team!"
Anderson (6-13, 3-6 SAC) claimed its second win in three outings, while Wingate fell to 12-7 overall and 7-3 in league action with its third home loss in its last four decisions at Cuddy Arena.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Hillery's career night came on the strength of a school-record 10 treys, with the grad student connecting on 15-of-20 field goal attempts, including 10-of-14 accuracy from beyond the arc. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native already had 16 points with more than five minutes left in the first half and finished the opening frame with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting. He also grabbed six rebounds.
Junior guard Garrett Denbow also had a stellar night with 26 points, including 15 in the second half, and nearly equaled Hillery's long-range accuracy by going 8-of-15 from beyond the arc. The Ashland, Ohio native also swiped a pair of steals. Myles Jenkins, who missed back-to-back games with an injury, came off the bench to notch his sixth double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while dishing out a career-high six assists. Senior guard Mason Carver added seven points and handed out a career-best, game-high nine assists. Junior forward Mack Burgett netted five points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. The Richmond, Va., native recorded six assists and blocked two shots.
Junior guard Sean Elmore led Wingate with 23 points, while teammate Taylor Bell notched 10 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
When looking at the statistics, it would be difficult to believe that the two teams opened just a little slowly. The Trojans connected on their first field goal attempt (a 3-pointer by Hillery) but committed three turnovers in the first two minutes to hamper their start. Wingate was 1-for-4 with a turnover and just one 3-pointer after the first 2 ½ minutes, but it didn't take long to overcome the sluggish start and begin the up-and-down, frenzied pace that typified the next 37 minutes.
Following the opening lull, AU scored 10 unanswered points to quickly open a double-digit, 13-3, advantage at the 16:03 mark, but was unable to build on the lead, as Wingate countered with a 12-0 run of its own to claim a brief 15-13 edge – its last lead of the game – with 13:09 on the clock.
Both teams shot the lights out over the opening nine minutes, as they combined to go 8-for-12 from long range, but the Trojans were even hotter – connecting on 10 of their first 12 field goal attempts, including 6-of-8 from long range.
The Trojans steadily pushed out to a 39-21 advantage and led by the 18-point margin two more times, including a 48-30 halftime lead.
Wingate finished the first half by connecting on just one of eight 3-pointers while Anderson made four of its last five baskets heading into the break.
Second Half
AU built a 58-36 cushion less than four minutes into the second half, before the Bulldogs trimmed the lead to 63-50 with more than 11 minutes remaining. But that was as close as Wingate would get the rest of the way, with the Trojans leading by as many as 33 in the final moments.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
Hillery's 40-point performance marked the highest individual scoring output since former standout Randall Shaw scored 45 points in a 97-82 win at Brevard on Jan. 4, 2017.
NOTABLES
• Hillery's 10 treys eclipsed the previous school-record 9 treys which was shared by Robbie Seabrook (twice in 2003) and Chandler Hash (2013).
• The Trojans also set a school record with 22 made 3-pointers, surpassing the previous record of 17, which was against Newberry during the 2021 season, Brevard in 2013 and Pfeiffer in 2003.
• AU matched the previous school record for 3-pointers attempted (39), which was previously set against Lees-McRae during the 1999 season.
• The game marked Anderson's second visit to Cuddy Arena in two weeks - and its third matchup of the regular season with Wingate.
• AU's 18-point lead at intermission marked the largest halftime advantage of the season for the Trojans.
• The Trojans' 48 first-half points marked the second-highest total for AU in an opening half this season – behind just the 60 points scored against Flagler.
• Hillery already had 13 points with just less than seven minutes left in the first half. He connected on his first five field goal attempts, including all three 3-pointers.
• The 31-point margin marked the largest margin of victory for either team since the series began in 2002.
• With his 7th 3-pointer of the afternoon just 16 seconds into the second half last Saturday at Catawba, Hillery scored his 1,000th career point, becoming just the 17th player in school history to reach the plateau.
• The Trojans attempted a season-low two free throws.
• Myles Jenkins posted his sixth double-double of the season.
• As a team, the Trojans have now posted 10 double-doubles on the season and are two away from matching the most since joining the SAC for the 2010-11 season.
• AU dominated the battle of the boards, 38-24.
• The Trojans 57.8% field goal percentage (37-of-64) was their second-highest of the season.
• AU shot a season-high 56.4% (22-of-39) from long range.
• AU earned its second road win of the season.
• Wingate fell to 5-3 at Cuddy Arena this season
• The Trojans and Bulldogs have met 34 times since the 2001-02 season, with Wingate holding a 24-10 advantage in the all-time series.
• AU claimed its first win over the Bulldogs since the 2019-20 campaign.
UP NEXT
The Trojans will open a two-game SAC homestand on Saturday by squaring off against UVA Wise for the only time this season. Tip-off against the Cavaliers is scheduled for 4 p.m.
