ANDERSON, S.C. – Paced by sophomore Randall Shaw's game-high 32 points, the Anderson University men's basketball claimed its second straight win with a 76-66 victory over Brevard in South Atlantic Conference action, Wednesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson improved to 12-13 overall and 10-9 in conference play with its 10th win in 14 overall meetings with the Tornados. Brevard (2-23, 0-19 SAC) suffered its 13th consecutive setback.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
After being slowed by an injury for the past three weeks, Shaw came back with a vengeance against the Tornados, pouring in 17 first-half points and finishing the night by going 9-of-18 from the field, including 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. The guard from Greenville, S.C., was also 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
Freshman center Carlos Dotson posted his ninth double-double of the season, with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Junior guard Maurice Howard added 11 points and seven boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The Tornados jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead inside the first two minutes, but with Dotson scoring six of AU's first eight points, the Trojans claimed a lead they would not relinquish. Shaw then fueled a 19-7 outburst by the Trojans with eight consecutive points, as AU claimed a 20-11 lead with 11:06 left in the first half.
The Trojans widened the gap to a double-digit, 33-19, edge on the strength of a 13-6 surge before Brevard whittled the AU advantage to just 38-35 over the final 6:31 of the opening half.
Second Half
AU steadily rebuilt a double-digit lead over the first five minutes of the second frame, but the Tornados stayed close and trimmed the Trojan lead to just 63-59 with less than three minutes left in the contest. Shaw halted the Brevard rally with a traditional three-point play, with sophomore Jeremy Bouton adding a layup to give the Black and Gold a 68-59 cushion at the 2:06 mark. Howard went 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the final 65 seconds to seal the victory.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans scored exactly 38 points in each half.
NOTABLES
• AU has dished out double-figure assists in 11 of their last 14 games.
• The Trojans have outrebounded four of their last six opponents.
• AU has outscored six of their last seven opponents in the first half.
UP NEXT
The Trojans close out their regular-season road slate with a two-game road swing, beginning at Lenoir-Rhyne. AU fell, 94-85, to Lenoir-Rhyne in January. Tip-off versus the Bears in Hickory, N.C., on Saturday is set for 4 p.m.
