CENTRAL, S.C. – With three players in double figures, the Anderson men's basketball team snapped a five-game skid by outpacing Southern Wesleyan, 67-50, in nonconference action Thursday night at Historic Tysinger Gymnasium.
Anderson (2-5) earned its second win of the season over the Warriors, while Southern Wesleyan (1-7) dropped its third straight decision.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior guard Randall Shaw netted a game-high 17 points and was a perfect 9-of-9 from the charity stripe, while guard Gage Ellis added 12 points. Junior forward Jeremy Bouton tossed in 10 points and pulled down seven rebounds, with senior guard Maurice Howard dishing out seven assists and grabbing seven rebounds. Junior guard Andrew Boynton connected on three 3-pointers and handed out a pair of assists, while freshman Josh Livingston recorded seven boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
There were two lead changes and a pair of ties – both in the opening half.
Behind five points apiece from Ellis, Bouton and Shaw, the Trojans built a 17-12 lead inside the first six minutes of the contest. But the Warriors responded by scoring eight unanswered points over the next seven minutes to grab their largest lead of the contest.
Boynton answered by draining a 3-pointer to knot the score at 20 apiece, while DJ Dobson's layup regained the lead for Southern Wesleyan. Christian Jeffords' first trey of the half gave the Trojans a 23-22 advantage with 4:33 left in the frame and AU never trailed again, as the Black and Gold held a 30-26 halftime lead.
Second Half
With Shaw dropping in eight of his 12 second-half points in the first 2:16 of the second frame, the Trojans built a 40-29 lead less than three minutes into the half.
Ellis' second trey of the night gave AU a 45-29 lead with more than 15 minutes on the clock and the Trojans held at least an 11-point margin the rest of the way.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE NIGHT
The Trojans committed a season-low six turnovers.
NOTES
• AU won the rebounding battle, 41-32. The Trojans were outrebounded by one in the first 20 minutes but grabbed 10 more rebounds than SWU in the second half.
• The Trojans have won four straight decisions past the Warriors.
• Tonight's game marked AU's first trip to Southern Wesleyan since the 1997-98 season.
• Andrew Boynton is a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe on the season.
• Jeremy Bouton has pulled down at least seven rebounds in each of the last four games.
• Randall Shaw has reached double-figure scoring in all seven games.
• The Trojans have pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in each of the last three games.
• AU shot a season-high 87.5 percent (14-of-16) from the free throw line.
UP NEXT
The Trojans begin the month of December with their South Atlantic Conference-opener, as they visit Lenoir-Rhyne Saturday afternoon. Tip-off versus the Bears in Hickory, N.C., is set for 4 p.m.
