JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – With five players reaching double figures in the scoring column for the third time this season and the second time in four games, the Anderson men's basketball team opened a two-game South Atlantic Conference homestand with a convincing, 80-65, win over Carson-Newman, Saturday afternoon at Holt Fieldhouse.
Anderson improved to 8-16 overall and 5-9 in league action by snapping a three-game skid and claimed its third road win of the year. Carson-Newman fell to 11-13 overall and 5-9 in the conference with its fifth straight loss.
"Really proud of our guys for the way we competed," said Anderson head coach Jimmie Williams. "We got off to a really bad start, but never panicked. We kept chipping away and stayed together and were able to pull away in the second half. So many people contributed to this win. First one that comes to mind is Jackson Gammons. Everyone involved in our program knows what he's been through the last five months, and know that he earned the right to play well tonight each and every day he was out hurt. For him to lead us in scoring and rebounding on the road tonight is credit to his character and determination. That's who he is. He was bold out there and all of us fed off that. Lots of guys stepped up and made big plays tonight, but it was our connected defense that was the biggest factor contributing to this win. We have to bring that the rest of the season. All the top teams play their best ball this time of year. I love this team!"
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sophomore guard Jackson Gammons poured in a game-high 20 points and shared game-high rebounding honors with eight boards. The High Point, N.C., native also dished out a season-best five assists. Junior forward Mack Burgett
added 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals, while forward Jalen Hillery netted 14 points.
Junior guard Garrett Denbow dropped in 11 points, with sophomore guard Myles Jenkins tallying 10 points and sharing game-high rebounding honors with eight boards. Senior guard Mason Carver handed out five assists and swiped three steals.
Bryant Thomas led the Eagles with 18 points, while Nick Brenegan and Luke Brenegan scored 16 points and 12 points, respectively.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
The Eagles started the game on fire from long range, with Luke Brenegan connecting on a pair of 3-pointers in the first 90 seconds, while Nick Brenegan and Ren Dyer each also added treys to give Carson-Newman a 12-0 lead less than three minutes into the contest.
Carson-Newman built its largest lead of the game (18-4) at the 15:04 mark, but the Trojans weathered the storm and reeled off 10 unanswered points of their own over the next four minutes to pull within 18-14.
The Eagles quickly rebuilt a nine-point (27-18) cushion, but again the Trojans answered – this time with a 12-2 outburst – with Hillery capping the surge with back-to-back 3-pointers and giving AU its first lead of the contest, at 28-27, with just a little more than three minutes left until halftime and the Black and Gold carried a 36-33 lead into the break.
Second Half
After the late first-half flurry of points, the two teams struggled offensively - combining for just three free throws over the opening five minutes of the second half, with Gammons getting AU jumpstarted by nailing 1-of-2 from the line.
Carson Newman briefly regained the lead, at 48-47, but a pair of free throws from Jenkins quickly erased that deficit and the Trojans would not trail again the rest of the afternoon. Denbow sparked an 8-0 spurt with a 3-pointer from the left side, while Jenkins followed with a trey from between the circles and -Hillery finished the run with a jumper from the left wing to give the Trojans a 57-49 advantage with 6:05 on the clock.
AU steadily built a double-digit, 66-56, lead and used late-game free throw accuracy to lead by as many as 17 inside the final minute.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans converted 18 Carson-Newman turnovers into 24 points.
NOTABLES
• The Trojans won the rebounding battle, 34-30, and pulled down 10 offensive boards.
• The Trojans and Eagles have met just 27 times since the series began during the 2007-08 season, with Carson-Newman holding a 17-10 edge in the overall series
• AU snapped a four-game losing streak to the Eagles.
• Carson-Newman has won 12 of the last 15 matchups.
• With four games remaining in the regular season, the Trojans are tied for fourth place, alongside Coker the battle for one of the four Piedmont Division berths in next month's SAC Tournament.
• The Trojans and Cobras trail third-place Newberry by four games.
UP NEXT
The Trojans wrap up their two-game South Atlantic Conference road swing, when they visit Lenoir-Rhyne, Wednesday night. AU will be seeking to sweep the season series after defeating the Bears, 77-68, in mid-December at the Abney Center. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
