ANDERSON, S.C. - Holding its opponent to 25 percent from the field and forcing 18 turnovers, 17th-ranked Anderson University women's basketball claimed a key Southeast Regional contest with a 62-39 victory over Peach Belt Conference opponent USC Aiken Thursday evening at the Abney Athletic Center.
With the victory, the Trojans improve to a perfect 3-0 record for the season and earn their 19th straight regular-season victory dating back to last season. For the Pacers, the setback is their third straight as they fall to an even 4-4 overall mark.
Senior guard Madison Floyd led the offense with a team-high 13 points, headlined by a trio of 3-pointers, while forward Alexis Dillard notched 12 points on 6-of-9 from the floor. Dillard, who grabbed six rebounds, was a main contributor underneath the basket as the Trojans out-rebounded USC Aiken, 45-33, headlined by 29 boards on the defensive end. Leading the way for the Black and Gold on the glass, senior forward Jennifer Monroe pulled down seven rebounds. For the evening, AU held the visitors to just two second-chance points.
"This was a big win for us within the region," Anderson head coach Jimmy Garrity said. "This may have been the best defensive effort we have had since I've been here. To hold USC Aiken to 39 points is a credit to our players following the game plan and scouting report. We showed a lot of toughness tonight which was the determining factor in the outcome."
With the victory, Garrity adds his sixth victory over a PBC opponent and improves to 10-4 against teams outside the South Atlantic Conference. Garrity also improved his record inside the Abney Center, moving to 24-5 in the three-year span. Within the record, the Trojans have won their last 11 in the Electric City.
Coming off a 30.5 shooting performance in its last outing, Anderson was 25-for-58 (43.1 percent) from the floor and connected on six 3-pointers. AU added 15 assists with freshman guard Tamia Eatmon handing out a season-high four assists to lead the club. In addition to winning the battle underneath, the Trojans tallied 36 points in the paint and 14 second-chance points.
"I was really proud of our effort to win the battle in the paint with second-chance points and points off turnovers," Garrity added. "I'm really pleased with how we shared the basketball. That was big for us."
Anderson started fast by scoring the first seven points of the evening and held the Pacers scoreless for over seven minutes. Missing its first 10 shots, USC Aiken eventually scored on a Stephanie Ball trey at the 2:49 mark in the opening period. Following the 3-pointer, teammate Rachelle Aupont knocked down one of her five 3-pointers on the evening to bring USC Aiken within three points at 9-6 at the end of the quarter. Aupont eventually closed the contest with a game-high 14 points.
Despite the momentum shifting at the end of the quarter, Anderson bounced back with a 14-3 run in the second quarter, beginning with a Floyd 3-pointer to open the period. The strong defensive effort continued by holding the Pacers to 13 second-quarter points as Anderson took a 26-19 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, the visitors brought the score to seven on a jumper from Emry Tsitouris, but the Black and Gold answered with a Dillard lay-in, followed by a fast-break basket by Floyd to push the lead to double figures at 32-21.
After taking a 45-32 advantage into the final quarter, junior guard Nakia Young scored AU's first nine points to open the last 10 minutes, starting momentum-shifting traditional three-point play. Young's scoring streak put the game out-of-reach, as the Pacers managed just seven fourth-quarter points.
The Trojans return to action on Saturday when they jump back into SAC play when they welcome Queens. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
