MARS HILL, N.C. - Using a first-half scoring outburst, Anderson got back in the win column by outpacing Mars Hill, 94-85, in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action Saturday evening at Stanford Arena.

Anderson (6-4, 1-1 SAC) won its fourth of the last five outings and earned its first league win, while Mars Hill (4-4, 1-1 SAC) ended its four-game homestand with the setback.

Leading 12-9 at the 12:37 mark of the first half, Anderson exploded on a 23-8 run over the next six minutes to take an 18-point lead with 6:59 left in the opening half.

Trey Britton's 3-pointer ignited the outburst, with six other Trojans contributing to the breakout. The Trojans never trailed in the contest, going on to lead by as many as 24 twice late in the opening frame and scoring a season-high for first-half points as AU staked a 51-31 lead at intermission.

The Trojans pushed out to a 64-43 lead with 14:55 left in the game, but the homestanding Lions refused to surrender, going on a 24-10 run over the next seven-plus minutes to trim AU's cushion to just seven points with 7:09 left in the game.

Freshman Denzail Jones and senior Kevis Cornwell combined to connect on four straight free throws to push AU's lead back to 11, but Mars Hill closed within a trey on a layup by Lions' preseason All-SAC selection Dion Malachi with 1:15 on the clock.

Anderson made eight of 10 free throws inside the final 62 seconds to hold off the Lions in the final moments and connected on a season-high 35 free throws on the day.

Jones led four Trojans in double figures with a season-high 28 points on the strength of 17-of-18 shooting from the charity stripe. Brandon Young added 17 points, while Britton narrowly missed his second double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Cornwell chipped in 11 points and six boards.

Anderson gets back on the hardwood Wednesday when the Trojans welcome Peach Belt Conference opponent North Georgia to the Abney Center for a mid-week contest before going on the road to face UNC Pembroke.