EMORY, Va. – The Anderson men's basketball team knocked down 18 treys - the second-highest total in school history - but was unable to slow down Emory & Henry's high-powered offense and suffered its second straight setback with a 107-103 loss to the South Atlantic conference-newcomer, Saturday afternoon at the King Center.
"We just weren't able to get the stops we needed late tonight," said Anderson head coach Jimmie Williams. "Proud of our response to get back in the game after a slow start, and we did some really good things offensively. Tonight was proof that we still have a ways to go to get to our best. I'm excited to chase after it. Our team has been through a lot and we have come up just short a lot but it's coming. I can see it. Hard to win when the other team shoots 44 free throws. We have to be better there."
Anderson fell to 7-15 overall and 4-8 in league action, while Emory & Henry (14-8, 6-7 SAC) won its fourth straight decision and improved to 7-5 at home.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore guard Jacksen Greco poured in a season-high 34 points on the strength of 10-of-16 shooting from the field, while also connecting of 9-of-10 free throws. The Canton, Ga., native also recorded five rebounds and three assists. Junior guard Garrett Denbow added 26 points on 8-of-16 accuracy from the field, with all eight baskets coming from long range.
Senior guard Mason Carver was 5-of-6 from the field and netted 16 points, while sharing team-high honors with six rebounds. The Lexington native also shared game-high honors with five assists. Sophomore guard Jackson Gammons came off the bench to score 12 points and grab six rebounds in just 19 minutes of action.
Emory & Henry sophomore forward Jake Moynihan posted a double-double with a team-high 26 points and a dozen rebounds. Junior guard Patrick Antonelli chipped in 18 points and seven boards, with sophomore guard Jalen Letfwich tallying 17 points. Teammate Kevin Grau Rodriguez notched 10 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Wasps jumped on top early and claimed their largest lead of the afternoon, at 22-10, less than six minutes into the contest.
AU stayed within striking distance and scored 11 unanswered points in less than two minutes late in the opening half to knot the score for just the second time (47-47). Carver bookended the surge with 3-pointers, while Denbow also drained a trey during the comeback. But E&H recovered enough to take a 55-51 lead at intermission.
Emory & Henry kept the lead between eight and 11 points through most of the second half, before the Trojans made it interesting in the final 40 seconds. With AU trailing, 104-96, Denbow nailed a 3-pointer and the Wasps' Micah Banks misfired on both free throw attempts with just 29 seconds on the clock.
Greco pulled the Trojans within 104-101 just eight seconds later with a short jumper, then stole the ball and Gammons dropped in a jumper to make it a one-point game with 16 ticks remaining.
Carver then fouled E&H's Malcolm Morgan, who made his first free throw, but missed the second and the Trojans had life – trailing 105-103 – but they were unable to convert on the offensive end and Antonelli made two freebies to set the final score.
"Mason continues to play his heart out for us.," added Williams. "He played all 40 minutes tonight and gave everything he has. My mom texted me after the game, "enjoy the effects of adversity." We will grow from this, I have no doubt. I love this team."
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans' 103 points matched their highest point-total of the season – they also scored 103 points in the home setback to Livingstone.
NOTABLES
• The game was tied twice, but the Trojans never led.
• The Wasps own the league's second-most prolific offense – at 85.6 points per game.
• The Trojans' 18 3-pointers were the second-most in school history.
• AU and Emory & Henry combined to score 210 points – that's the most since the Trojans and Livingstone hooked up on Dec. 10 to post 207 combined points at the Abney Center.
• The Wasps outrebounded AU, 39-26 and pulled down 10 offensive boards.
• The Trojans have dished out double-digit assists in six consecutive games.
• Saturday afternoon's contest marked the first-ever meeting between the Trojans and Wasps on the hardwood.
• Four of AU's six remaining regular-season games will come against Mountain Division opponents.
• The Trojans saw four players reach double-figure scoring for the 10th time this season.
• AU's 20 assists matched their third-highest tally of the season.
• The Trojans' six remaining regular-season contests are evenly split, with three at home and three on the road.
• The contest also marked AU's third game of the season against a Mountain Division rival … The Trojans are now 1-2 against teams from the SAC's other division.
UP NEXT
The Trojans return to the Abney Athletic Center for a brief one-game homestand against Catawba on Wednesday in their second matchup against the Indians in less than three weeks. Tip-off in the Electric City is slated for 7:30 p.m.
