For the second time, AUTrojans.com is counting down Anderson University athletics' 25 most memorable games, matches and meets from the 2014-15 academic year. This season's countdown began on Monday, June 22 and will continue throughout the summer.

Be sure to check AUTrojans.com during the offseason to relive all the highlights of another successful year at Anderson.

Simpson's Jumper Gives Trojans 13th Straight Win, Defeats Carson-Newman 73-71

Feb. 18, 2015

ANDERSON, S.C. - Senior guard Sierra Simpson's runner in the lane with under a second left proved to be the difference as Anderson University women's basketball picked up its 13th straight victory with a 73-71 win over Carson-Newman Wednesday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.

After C-N's Jessica Simerly dropped in a lay-up with 10 seconds remaining, Simpson grabbed the in-bound pass, went coast-to-coast and scored on the jumper that left just 0.7 seconds on the clock. Needing to score quickly, a desperation shot from the Eagles fell short as the Trojans earned the key South Atlantic Conference victory.

With the narrow triumph, AU earns its 20th victory of the season and moves to 20-3 on the year with a 17-2 mark in conference play. The Trojans improve the program's longest winning streak in seven seasons, as they look to chase down the 2007-08 team's mark of 20 straight wins. Carson-Newman, which joined Anderson in the top-eight of the NCAA regional rankings that were released early Wednesday, fell to 16-9 on the year with a 10-9 record in the SAC.

Five Trojans scored in double figures on the day, as the trio of Simpson, Madison Floyd and Nakia Young scored 13 points apiece. Following the three were forwards Jennifer Monroe with 12 points and Jasmine Franklin who added 10 points. As a team, the Black and Gold shot 47.5 percent (28-for-59) from the field, but was held to just 22.7 percent (5-for-22) from behind the 3-point line.

Anderson's depth made a big factor in the contest, as the Trojans scored 26 bench points, compared to C-N's four. AU also won the battle on the boards, 30-27, headlined by 12 offensive rebounds, as Jennifer Monroe led the Black and Gold with six rebounds, while Katie Davis added five.

Carson-Newman's Taylor Peterson scored the first nine points for the visitors and closed the contest with a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Simerly recorded 17 points from underneath the basket, while Tatum Burstrom posted 14 points, including a 5-for-5 performance from the free throw line.

The teams played to two early deadlocks at 8-8 and the 9-9 mark, as Anderson led 12-9 at the 14-minute mark. After C-N's Kaitlyn Cupples scored on a lay-in, the Trojans out-scored the visitors 11-2 over the next two minutes and took a commanding 22-13 advantage. In the spurt, Floyd connected on two 3-pointers for her only points of the opening 20 minutes.

After Simerly stopped the run with a jumper inside the paint, Lesley Woods added to the Anderson lead with a 3-pointer from the wing to hand the home side its first 10-point advantage of the contest.

The Trojans would make it an 11-point game when Young converted on a traditional three-point play for three of her six first-half points.

Following the Young basket and free throw, Peterson drained a trey from the wing and began a 10-2 run for the Eagles, as Carson-Newman's Whitney Kyle followed Peterson's 3-pointer with one of her which began a streak of seven straight points. A pair of Simpson free throws broke the stretch, followed by a Monroe lay-in would give AU its first field goal in three minutes. With the four straight points, Anderson controlled with a 34-27 lead with five minutes to go in the first half.

With C-N cutting the deficit to six with 3:45 left, Anderson tallied seven straight points, as Floyd began the run with a wing trey and closed the spurt with a lay-in to give Anderson a 43-30 lead. Despite the run, Carson-Newman closed the half by adding the final six points to set the halftime score at 43-36.

Anderson would take leads of eight, three times, in the first six minutes of the second half, but Carson-Newman continued to close the gap and eventually came within one, at 55-54, on a Kyle lay-in. With the one-point lead, the Trojans scored the next three points, but C-N bounced back with four unanswered and evened the score at 58-58 for the game's third tie.

Simerly gave the Eagles their first lead since the 9-8 mark on a lay-in at the four-minute mark, as Anderson trailed at the under-4 media timeout for the first since its last setback on Jan. 3. Following the break, Franklin evened the score at 60-60 with a jumper.

With the score deadlocked for the fourth time, Burstrom gave Carson-Newman life with a traditional three-point play that would give the Eagles a 63-60 lead at the 3:39 mark. The Eagles maintained their lead for just under a minute until Woods sunk AU's final trey of the game from the corner to even the score for the fifth time at 65-65.

After Peterson misfired on the opposite end, Young drove into the C-N defense and floated in a runner to give AU the 67-65 advantage. After C-N called timeout, Brooks evened the score with a lay-in, as the game had a minute left with the score at 67-67.

On the next possession, Young scored once again after corralling her own rebound and gave the home side another two-point lead. On the opposite end, Burstrom was fouled away from the basket and she put in a pair of free throws to make the score even at 69-69.

With under a minute left, Simpson buried a jumper inside the C-N paint to give the Trojans a 71-69 lead. Not to be outdone, Simerly scored the game-tying basket on the other end which would set-up Simpson's late-game heroics. Simpson was able to split the Carson-Newman defense and score the game-winning basket that would seal a home game in the opening round of the SAC Tournament in March.

AUTrojans.com's Most Memorable Moments of 2014-15
25. Furtick Captures All-Tournament Honors at AU Invitational - Sept 9, 2014
24. Men's Cross Country Finishes Fifth at SAC Championships - Nov. 8, 2014
23. Merriman Earns All-Tournament Recognition at SAC Men's Golf Championships - April 21, 2015
22. Men's Basketball Edges Georgia College - Dec. 13, 2014
21. Women's Track and Field Finishes Fourth at SAC Championships - April 18, 2015
20. Baseball Claims 12-3 Win over Brevard in Opening Round of SAC Tournament - April 23, 2015
19. Volleyball Defeats Tusculum in Five Sets - Oct. 17, 2014
18. Women's Cross Country Finishes Third at SAC Championships - Nov. 8, 2014
17. Women's Basketball 68, Wingate 57 - Feb. 7, 2015
16. Women's Soccer 9, Coker 0 - Sept. 20, 2014
15. Baseball Slams Eight Home Runs in Doubleheader with Lenoir-Rhyne - April 11, 2015
14. Women's Tennis 5, Newberry 4 - April 16, 2015
13. Men's Soccer 3, Mount Olive 2 (OT) - Oct. 15, 2014
12. Men's Basketball Defeats Limestone in Final Seconds - Dec. 10, 2014
11. Women's Basketball 73, Carson-Newman 71 - Feb. 18, 2015