ANDERSON, S.C. -- Leading with just with just over two seconds left to play in the contest, the Anderson University (7-8, 2-5 SAC) men's basketball team couldn't stop a buzzer-beating shot from Wingate (13-3, 8-0 SAC) as they fell at home 76-75 as the clock hit zero on Wednesday, January 17.
Senior Garrett Denbow (Ashland, Ohio) led the team with 17 points in the contest, going 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Sophomore Austin Webb (South Point, Ohio) led the team off the bench with 16 points and six rebounds, just one short of the team-leading seven posted by sophomore Cole Middleton (Atlanta, Ga.). Senior Mack Burgett (Richmond, Va.) tied his career-high in assists with seven in the contest while chipping in nine points.
The rim was unkind to both teams in the opening minutes of action as the first points were put up by free throws with just 13 points being scored before the first media timeout with Wingate holding the slight 7-6 edge. That one point margin remained at the next media as a flurry with sophomore Luke Denbow (Ashland, Ohio) accounting for half of the Trojans points over the next stretch, though the Bulldogs continued to lead 15-14.
Anderson took their first lead of the contest with two free throws coming out of that timeout and went on a 19-9 run over the next stretch to extend their lead to near double digits by the five-minute mark of the opening stanza. The Trojans advantage continued to blossom over the closing minutes of the first period, reaching a game-high 15 with just 2:19 to play in the half. Though the Bulldogs were able to outscore the Trojans by a slim margin in the last two minutes, the Trojans took the 11-point lead into the break, 43-32.
A hammer dunk by Middleton to start the second half had the Abney faithful in a tizzy, but that and a single made free-throw was the only offense the Trojans would muster in the first three-minutes of the second as Wingate was able to close the gap to just three by the first media timeout. By the 9:41 mark in the contest the Bulldog had been able to level the playing field by tying the game up at 55.
The two teams battled back and forth and by the next media, just two minutes later, the Trojans had retaken the advantage by a slight two-point margin. That lead would balloon to as much as nine points down the final stretch, but Wingate was able to claw back into the game, tying the contest at 74 with 1:16 to play. A missed free-throw gave the Bulldogs the opening they were looking for as with time expiring on the clock a last-ditch jump shot found the bottom of the basket and gave Wingate the 76-75 win.
Anderson looks to rebound quickly as they return to action on Saturday, January 20, welcoming in Emory & Henry to the Abney Center for a 4:00 p.m. tip.
