ANDERSON, S.C. -- Queens University guard Andre Lockhart hit two
free throws with 2:37 remaining in overtime to give the Royals a
one-point lead and Queens held off the homestanding Trojans, 92-86,
in Conference Carolinas men's basketball action Saturday afternoon
at the Abney Athletic Center. Anderson, which entered the contest
ranked 25th in the nation, suffered its first setback of the
season, falling to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in the league, while Queens
improved to 4-1 overall and 1-1. The potent Anderson offense that
entered the contest averaging 96.5 points per game struggled to get
on track early, misfiring on eight of its first 10 attempts from
the field, and the Trojans connected on just two of their first six
free throw attempts. Anderson's poor shooting enabled the Royals to
gain a 21-10 advantage with 8:37 remaining in the first half.
Queens still led by 11 points with less than four minutes on the
clock when Anderson exploded on a 15-1 run that turned the 11 point
deficit into a 34-31 lead at halftime. Junior Brandon Young
triggered the rally with a 3-pointer from deep in the right corner.
Kevis Cornwell dropped in four points during the outburst and
sophomore Taylor Shugart and Oskars Ernsteins each added three
points over the span and Young book-ended the rally with a layup
inside the final 10 seconds. In a reversal from the first half, AU
opened the second frame hot from the field, hitting four-of-six,
including their first two 3-point attempts, and built a 46-36 lead
with 16:38 remaining in regulation. The Trojans pushed out to a
63-52 cushion over the over the next seven minutes, equaling the
largest lead by either team. But the visitors whittled away at AU's
advantage and claimed their first lead since the 1:32 mark of the
first half when guard Reggie Hopkins hit two free throws with 3:42
remaining. The lead changed hands six times over the final moments,
with each squad bidding to outlast the other. Shuhgart collected an
Ernsteins' miss and stuck it in back in traffic to give Anderson
its final lead in regulation, 72-71, with 46 ticks on the clock,
but Lockhart answered with a layup on the other end to give Queens
a one-point lead. The Royals' Devon Seaford sent AU's Tony Anderson
to the line with 32.7 seconds left and the 5-foot-11 guard hit
one-of-two to knot the score for the fifth time of the contest.
Following a pair of timeouts, Lockart put up the potential
game-winner with three seconds on the clock, but Shugart got a hand
on the ball and it rolled out of bounds as the horn sounded.
Ernsteins opened the extra period by draining a 3-pointer from the
right side, but it was the final lead of the night for AU, as the
Royals pushed out to a six-point edge and hit 3-of-4 free throws in
the final minute to hold off the Trojans. Anderson's shooting eye
improved to 34.1 percent on the night, but the Trojans were
out-rebounded 62-47. Young netted 20 points to lead six Trojans in
double figures. Ernsteins added 13 points, while Cornwell also
notched 13 points. Shugart recorded a double-double with 12 points
and a game-high 12 rebounds and junior Trey Britton chipped in 11
points and eight boards. The Trojans have a week off for final
exams, then close out their five-game homestand when UNC Pembroke
invades the Abney Center on Saturday, Dec. 12. Tip-off is slated
for 4 p.m. Game
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