ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson University women's basketball team won a pivotal game in the South Atlantic Conference over Lincoln Memorial, 70-63, on Wednesday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
With the victory, Anderson improves to 15-8 overall and 9-6 in conference action while Lincoln Memorial falls to 13-9 overall and 9-7 SAC play.
Anderson placed four players in double-figures with sophomore Alexy Mollenhauer leading all-scorers with 20 points. Mollenhauer shot 6-of-12 from the field including 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Graduate student Alexis Dillard and junior Ace Easter each scored 12 points with Dillard ripping down a game-high nine rebounds. Sophomore Madison Baggett chip in 10 points. Baggett also pulled down six rebounds while dishing out five assists.
Lincoln Memorial placed two players in double-figures with reserve Qua Hines scoring a team-high 16 points. LMU's Shea Coker dropped in 13 points on 6-of11 shooting in 34 minutes of action.
Despite the Railsplitters making 6-of-9 3-point baskets in the opening two quarters, the Trojans only trailed by three at intermission, 32-29.
Anderson's Mollenhauer opened the third frame with back-to-back 3-point baskets to give the Black and Gold their third lead of the game and first since the 2:32 mark of the first period. Both teams stalled out for just under two-minutes of action before the Railsplitters pushed their lead to six with the final quarter to play.
The Trojans knotted the game up in the fourth period,56-56, after Easter's three made jumpers with a pair of Dillard's free throw mixed in. With 2:12 left to go, Mollenhauer and Baggett drained back-to-back 3-pointers to put Anderson up six, 62-56.
Rachel Griffith hit a 3-point basket on Lincoln's Memorial's next possession to cut the lead to three with 1:14 remaining. AU's Easter scored a basket with 35 seconds left before Mollenhauer and Baggett clutch free throw shooting sealed the win for the Black and Gold as they combined for a perfect 6-for-6.
EXTRA DRIBBLE
-AU is 18-of-22 on the year from the foul line in the final two minutes of a game within 10 points.
-The Trojans outrebounded the Railsplitters, 41-32
-The Black and Gold are 2-7 when trailing at the half.
-The game featured five ties and seven lead changes.
UP NEXT
Anderson travels to Newberry on Saturday to begin a three-game road swing. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
