ANDERSON, S.C. - Guard Denzail Jones and forward Kyle Sledge combined for 42 points as the Anderson men's basketball team topped Mars Hill, 96-78, in South Atlantic Conference action Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.

Anderson (5-2, 2-0 SAC) improved to 3-0 at home on the young season, while winning its fourth in the last five games overall. Mars Hill slipped to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in league play.

With Mars Hill holding an early 3-2 advantage, the Trojan defense held the Lions to just two baskets over the next six minutes, enabling AU to go on a 17-4 run. Senior center Taylor Shugart sparked the outburst with a putback and following a 3-pointer from teammate Denzail Jones, Shugart blocked two Lions' shots, setting the tone for the afternoon - AU's seven blocks were the most since the Trojans swatted nine attempts in a home win past Pfeiffer on Feb. 27, 2010.

Jones' basket with 12:10 remaining in the opening half capped the run, giving Anderson a 19-7 advantage.

AU built a 13-point lead midway through the half, but the Lions trimmed the Trojans' lead to just seven on two occasions before Anderson took a 41-33 lead to the locker room.

Mars Hill's Terrell Harris notched the first basket of the second half, but Jones scored the next five for AU and senior guard Nick Trull followed with back-to-back treys to give the Trojans a 52-37 cushion with 18:02 on the clock.

The Lions' Sammy Emile, a preseason All-SAC selection, pulled MHC within eight at the 15:55 mark, but that was as close as Mars Hill would get, as Jones countered with four straight points.

Jones led all scorers with 22 points and swiped five steals, while Sledge came off the bench to post a career-high 20 points on the afternoon, with 16 coming in the second half. Trull added 13 points, taking sole possession of fifth place all-time in AU's record books with his layup at the 18:41 mark of the first half. The Charlotte, N.C., native now has 1,195 career points. Senior Tyrell McDowell chipped in 10 points and freshman guard Myson Jones handed out a game-high four assists in just eight minutes of action, while Shugart recorded a game-best 11 rebounds.

Emile led the Lions with 21 points, with Harris adding 17.

The Trojans visit Erskine Wednesday before returning home to play host to Johnson and Wales on Monday, Dec. 12