JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Using 53 rebounds, including 24 on the offensive end, Anderson University women's basketball added its seventh consecutive victory in a key South Atlantic Conference clash at Carson-Newman, 78-65, Wednesday evening at Holt Fieldhouse.
The win hands the Trojans their longest winning streak under head coach Jimmy Garrity, as they improve to 14-3 overall and 11-2 in conference play. The 11 conference victories match last season's total, as the Black and Gold have won five straight SAC road games. Carson-Newman, which opened the season winning its first 11 games, dropped its third game in its last five and fall to 15-4 on the year with a 9-4 mark in the SAC.
Four Trojans led the offensive attack on the night, led by junior forward Jennifer Monroe who broke her season-high point mark of 18, which she set on Saturday at Queens, with a game-high 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting. The junior was also a rebound shy of her third consecutive double-double with nine rebounds, headlined by five on the offensive end.
Posting her first double-double of the season, junior Jasmine Franklin totaled 16 points and 12 rebounds in the win, as she went 7-for-13 from the field while adding three assists. Following Franklin was the guard duo of Madison Floyd and Nakia Young who combined for 24 points off the bench. Floyd matched her season-high with 14 points, highlighted by four made 3-pointers. Young added 10 points and tied Sierra Simpson with a game-high five assists.
Simpson scored eight points for the evening and grabbed eight rebounds, while classmate Lesley Woods was held without a basket for the first time since Nov. 22, 2014.
The difference was on the glass, as the Trojans surpassed the 50-rebound mark for the third time this season. With 24 offensive rebounds, Anderson scored 23 second-chance points and 40 points in the paint. With her game-high 12 rebounds, Franklin matched her career high.
As a team, the Trojan offense attempted 76 shots, marking the highest number of shots in a game by a Garrity-led team since putting up 80 in an overtime setback at Carson-Newman a season ago. The 76 shots eclipses their previous season-high of 70 set twice this season.
The teams traded points in the opening moments, as they played to a 6-6 tie in the first six minutes of the game. After Young was fouled in the act of shooting, the sophomore buried a pair of free throws handing the Black and Gold a lead they would not give up. The Eagles would cut their deficit to a single point four times for the remainder of the half, but could not find the lead.
With the score at 12-11 with 11 minutes to go in the opening half, Simpson put AU up three with a lay-in. C-N would bring its deficit to one against at the 6:20 mark, but Anderson answered once again with a Franklin jumper.
On the next possession, Eagle Lacy Miller added a lay-in to bring the home side within one again. Despite Monroe missing back-to-back free throws on the next trip down the court, Young grabbed the offensive rebound and scored to put AU ahead by three.
Carson-Newman would bring the score within one once more with 4:17 left, but again, Franklin knocked in a jumper to give the visitors their fourth-straight three-point lead. The basket would lead to Anderson out-scoring the Eagles 9-6 for the remainder of the half, as the Trojans took their largest advantage of the game at 34-27 into halftime. Floyd provided the seven-point lead with her second 3-pointer of the half.
The junior guard picked up where she left off in the opening moments of the second half, as she connected on two early 3-pointers and forced Carson-Newman to take a timeout facing a 42-31 score with 16 minutes remaining.
Following the timeout, C-N's Jasmine Poole would bring the scoreline within single digits with two straight free throws, but a Monroe lay-in gave Anderson an 11-point lead and began a 10-3 run that handed the Trojans their largest lead of 16 with under 12 minutes remaining.
Anderson maintained its double-figure lead until the 7:23 mark when Carson-Newman's Kailyn Brooks brought the Eagles within eight with a lay-in. After Monroe added her own lay-in on the opposite end, the home side added four straight points from the free throw line and made the score 60-54 with six minutes remaining.
Franklin broke the Carson-Newman scoring stretch with a bucket underneath the basket. With the spacing on the scoreboard, Anderson cashed in at the free throw line, finishing 6-for-6 from the stripe in the final 4:30 to seal the road victory. For the evening, the Trojans finished 12-for-15 from the line, clinching the fourth time this season they have shot 80 percent or higher from the free throw stripe.
AU scored the final four points of the game, clinching the 13-point victory. The triumph was Anderson's first win inside Holt Fieldhouse since a 58-51 win on Feb. 23, 2013.
"I am really proud of our team for the effort, toughness and determination they showed tonight," Garrity said. "Every game in the conference is important, but I got a sense our players knew how valuable this win would be for our season. The collective focus and dedication in preparing for this game was probably our best so far this year. We are excited to get back to Anderson and play in front of our home fans for three games beginning this weekend."
The Trojans continue SAC play on Saturday when they return to the Abney Athletic Center to host in-state rival, Newberry. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
