ANDERSON, S.C. – Junior Quin Nottingham and sophomore Satchel Hester combined for 38 points to help lead the Anderson men's basketball team to a 75-64 upset win over No. 20 Belmont Abbey in nonconference action, Tuesday night at the Abney Athletic Center.
"This was a big win tonight in Abney over a top-25 team," said Anderson head coach Jeff Brookman. "The guys faced a lot of adversity tonight and did a great job of overcoming it. They played together and trusted each other for 40 minutes. We got big contributions from Satchel Hester and Mason Carver tonight. Mason came off the bench and played excellent on both sides of the ball. We will enjoy this win for a few hours and then focus on our preparation for Limestone."
Anderson improved to 6-4 on the season with its second straight win and third victory in four outings, while Belmont Abbey (8-3) saw its win streak halted at five games.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Nottingham shared game-high honors with 20 points, including 14 in the second stanza, and also swiped three steals. Hester added a career-high 18 points on the strength of 7-of-13 shooting from the field and pulled down five rebounds. Freshman guard Mason Carver came off the bench to score a career-high 10 points and equaled a career-best with four rebounds.
Junior guard Alex Keel chipped in eight points and five rebounds, with freshman forward Mack Burgett sharing team-high honors with five boards. Despite being hampered by early foul trouble, senior guard Shawn Benard handed out a game-high six assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
After falling behind, 8-7, inside the opening four minutes, AU's Hester ignited a 17-9 run by knocking down a 3-pointer from deep in the right corner and the Black and Gold steadily opened a 24-17 advantage over the next eight minutes.
The Crusaders trimmed AU's advantage to just 28-26 with exactly four minutes on the clock, but Crosby James countered with his lone trey of the night 13 seconds later to put the Trojans back ahead by two possessions. Belmont Abbey again pulled within just one point at the 2:11 mark, but Crosby and Hester combined to score AU's final two baskets and the Black and Gold held a 35-32 lead at the break.
Second Half
The Trojans, who improved to 4-2 on the season when leading at halftime, held the advantage until the Crusaders' DeQuan Abrom dropped in a layup with just less than 17 minutes left in the game.
Belmont Abbey crept out to its largest lead of the game, at 49-43, on a 3-pointer by Quest Aldridge at the 13:10 mark, but Carver countered with a 3-pointer of his own and Keel followed with another trey to knot the score at 49 apiece. Hester gave the Trojans the lead for good when he connected on a jumper with 11:46 remaining and AU edged out to a six-point lead three times before Abrom dropped in a trey to cut the Black and Gold lead to just 60-57 with more than six minutes on the clock.
Nottingham then scored four straight and Carver's second 3-pointer of the night pushed AU to a double-digit, 67-57, cushion with 4:48 showing on the clock. The Crusaders stayed within striking distance and closed within 68-64, but the Trojans, who struggled earlier in the contest from the charity stripe, delivered down the stretch by sinking 5-of-6 from the free throw line inside the final minute.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE GAME
The Trojans led for nearly 34 minutes of the game and forced the Crusaders into 17 turnovers.
NOTABLES
• Belmont Abbey won the rebounding battle, 37-29.
• Shaw Benard has averaged eight assists per game over the last three contests.
• Alex Keel has recorded at least five rebounds in five consecutive games.
• The game marked the first meeting between the two teams since the 2009-10 campaign (Anderson's final season as a member of Conference Carolinas).
• While playing at The Abbey, AU Head Coach Jeff Brookman was named the Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference Freshman of the Year following the 1994-1995 season, earned honorable mention All-Conference honors and was a two-time team MVP.
• The Crusaders were a preseason pick to win the Conference Carolinas' title.
• AU claimed a win over a nationally-ranked opponent for the second straight season, after knocking off No. 24 Catawba last January.
• The Trojans improved to 10-4 against The Abbey at the Abney Athletic Center.
• AU improved to 3-0 versus opponents from Conference Carolinas.
• The Trojans won their third straight home contest of the season and fifth straight dating back to last season.
UP NEXT
Anderson will get back on the court, Thursday, when the Trojans welcome future South Atlantic Conference member Limestone to the Electric City. Tip-off versus the Saints is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Abney Athletic Center.
