ANDERSON, S.C. – Trailing by as many as 13 points, including a 10-point halftime deficit, the Anderson University (1-0) men's basketball team was able to force overtime and pick up the 118-112 win in their season opener against Flagler (0-1) on Saturday, November 11 as part of the Southeast Region Challenge hosted by the Trojans in the Abney Athletic Center.
Senior Garrett Denbow (Ashland, Ohio) led the Trojans in the contest, posting 38 points while going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Freshman AJ Wright Jr. (Tampa, Fla.) was a key contributor as well in his collegiate debut as he chipped in 25 points as well as going a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Sophomore Cole Middleton (Atlanta, Ga.) also added 17 points to the Trojans tally. Overall, the Trojans shot 56% from the floor and right at 50% from three-point range.
"Really proud of our guys tonight, it took everyone to get it done," said head coach Jimmie Williams. "We got big minutes from multiple guys off the bench. We've been saying it all fall, our depth coupled with how close and connected we are as a team will be our competitive advantage."
The Trojans opened the contest as Garrett Denbow was able to record the first seven points of the game to give Anderson the early 7-0 lead. Flagler closed that gap to just three points but a knock down jumper by sophomore Luke Denbow (Ashland, Ohio) brought the Trojan lead back up to six at 10-4. The Saints took the lead over the next few minutes as they were able to go on a 10-0 run but a clutch three by Wright Jr. brought the Flagler Advantage back down to just two.
Halfway through the opening stanza with the Trojans leading 30-25, the two teams battled back-and-forth with the Saints slowly gaining ground again until they retook the lead at 48-47 at the final media timeout of the first. The remaining minutes of the first were controlled by Flagler as they were able to extend their lead out to 10 and take the 63-53 advantage into the halftime break.
"Flagler is going to win a lot of games this year, but we were able to respond well in the second half defensively."
It didn't take long in the second half for the Trojans to close the gap as timely lay-ups from Wright Jr. and Garrett Denbow saw the Saints lead cut in half to just five at 71-66. However, Flagler was not going away quietly as they were able to regain that margin and further extend it out to their game-leading 13-point margin at 89-76 with just over eight minutes remaining in regulation.
A three-pointer and a lay-up by Garrett Denbow, along with two buckets by Wright Jr. and a lay-up by sophomore James Repass (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) brought the lead back to five. Wright Jr. was able to knock down a pair of free throws and Garrett Denbow recorded another two points right after that to close the gap all the way down to just one point. The contest tied up at 98-98 in the waning minutes of the second half and the two teams traded made free-throws in the final minute, with each one missing what could have been the game winner to force overtime at 99-99.
Of the 19 points that the Trojans were able to score in the overtime period that led them to their 118-112 victory over the Saints, 15 of those points were scored by a Denbow with Garrett recording a team-high eight in the final period while Luke added seven points.
"Always fun when Garrett Denbow gets it going. He's worked hard to turn himself into a complete player that can beat you in several ways. Tonight was his best defense I've ever seen."
"Lastly, our fans really showed up today. We don't win that game without them. Abney on gameday, nothing like it!"
The Trojans turn around tomorrow as they close out the Southeast Region Challenge with a 7:00 p.m. matchup with the Lakers of Clayton State.
