ANDERSON, S.C. – In front of a raucous crowd at a sold-out Abney, the Anderson men's basketball team wrapped up a two-game South Atlantic Conference homestand with a hard-fought, 77-72, setback to Newberry, Wednesday night.
"What a fun college basketball environment in Abney tonight!" said Anderson head coach Jimmie Williams. "That's as loud as it's been all year! Our crowds keep growing and growing. Frustrating that we weren't able to pull it out for them late. Also, extremely disappointed about some of the offensive rebounds we gave up. We knew going in their best offense is a contested shot that they go get. They lead the league in offensive rebounds. We forced them into taking tough shots, but we weren't able to secure enough rebounds to get it done tonight. We will learn from it. One minute to go, tied up in front of a home capacity crowd, we have to find a way to win. Huge bright spot was having Jackson Gammons finally out there. He came in after being out over four months and impacted the game. So thankful he's back and can't wait to get back to work. I love this team."
Anderson (7-14, 4-7 SAC) saw its win streak halted at two, while Newberry (13-8, 6-5 SAC) swept the season series for the second straight year with its third consecutive win and fifth victory in six decisions.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore guard Myles Jenkins led five Trojans in double-figures with 15 points, including nine in the first half. The Lexington native was 7-of-13 from the field and pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Forward Jalen Hillery, the reigning SAC Player of the Week, added 14 points and a pair of assists, while sophomore guard Jacksen Greco netted 11 points. Juniors Mack Burgett and Garrett Denbow each recorded 10 points apiece.
Newberry's QuanDaveon McCollum, who entered the game third in league in scoring, led all scorers with 22 points and collected 11 rebounds.
Sophomore guard Malik Joseph tallied 17 points, while sophomore center Malakhi Stremlow also posted a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 12 boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Both teams began the game with accurate shooting, but Newberry had the upper hand early, as the Wolves connected on their first four field goal attempts and were a perfect 2-for-2 from long range en route to building an early 10-5 advantage.
Newberry edged out to a 17-10 lead with just less than 14 minutes on the clock, before the teams swapped free throws, with the Wolves getting hit with an administrative technical due to uniform number issues, which took some of the wind out of their sails.
The free throw by Denbow ignited a 12-3 scoring run by the Trojans, as they turned a seven-point deficit into a three-point, 24-21, lead at the 9:17 mark. Hillery fueled the turnaround by dropping in two baskets in less than two minutes, with four other Trojans also scoring during the run.
AU extended the lead to four (31-27) on Greco's second 3-pointer of the night from the left wing, before Joseph scored five straight points to regain a brief advantage for Newberry. But Denbow closed the half with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Trojans a 37-32 halftime edge.
Second Half
There were no ties and just three lead changes in the first half, but the second frame featured seven tie scores and the lead changed hands 11 times over the final 12 minutes, with neither team able to build more than a five-point advantage.
With Newberry clinging to a 62-59 lead with less than seven minutes on the clock, Jenkins took over on the offensive end as the 6-foot-4 guard scored six straight points for Trojans – keeping the Black and Gold within two.
The Trojans connected on four free throws inside the final two minutes, but were unable to find the range from outside and their last field goal came at the 2:34 mark, while Newberry converted a pair of traditional three-point plays down the stretch and junior guard Andrew Robinson set the final score with two from the line with just six seconds left.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
Five Trojans reached double figures in the scoring column for the second time this season.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans had outrebounded their last four opponents, but the Wolves won the rebounding battle, 38-26, and grabbed 19 offensive boards.
• The Trojans have dished out double-digit assists in five consecutive games.
• Four of the last 24 meetings with Newberry have been decided in overtime.
• The Wolves claimed their second straight regular-season series sweep for the first time since the rivalry began in 2003.
• AU slipped to 11-4 against the Wolves at the Abney Center.
• The Trojans and Wolves have met 32 times since the 2003-04 season, with Anderson holding an 18-14 edge in the overall series.
• AU has won eight of the last 14 meetings with the Wolves.
UP NEXT
The Trojans travel to Emory & Henry on Saturday for the first-ever meeting with the league-newcomers, then return for a brief one-game homestand against Catawba in their second matchup against the Indians in less than three weeks.
