Box score
ANDERSON, S.C. - The Anderson men's basketball team shot a
season-low from long range and Mars Hill scored 25 points off
turnovers, as Mars Hill outlasted Anderson, 82-75, in South
Atlantic Conference men's basketball action Saturday afternoon at
the Abney Athletic Center.
Mars Hill (8-12, 5-7 SAC) won its third consecutive game and
earned a split in the season series with the Trojans, while
Anderson (14-8, 8-4 SAC) had its win streak stopped at three
games.
AU jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, but four turnovers in the
next two minutes stalled the Trojans' offense and allowed the Lions
to take a brief 14-10 lead with just over 13 minutes left in the
first half.
Anderson junior center Taylor Shugart responded with three of
his game-high 20 points on an old-fashioned three-point play and
guard Nick Trull dropped in a layup to regain a 15-14 edge for AU.
The Trojans pushed out to a pair of three-point leads midway
through the half, but Mars Hill stayed within striking distance and
went on a 12-2 run to claim its largest lead of the frame, 30-23,
with 5:30 remaining.
The Lions took a 39-34 advantage into intermission, but the
Trojans came out of the break with a 10-3 outburst to claim a brief
two-point lead at the 17:21 mark. However, Mars Hill pushed out to
another seven-point lead midway through the final half, before
Anderson battled back to take its final lead of the contest, 58-57,
with 7:23 remaining.
Mars Hill countered by garnering a 70-62 advantage with less
than three minutes on the clock, but the Trojans rallied within
76-73 on a 3-pointer from deep in the left corner by Trey Britton
with 1:02 left. AU misfired on two shots and committed a turnover
in its next three possessions, while the Lions connected on 4-of-6
from the free throw line in the final moments to hold off the
Trojans.
Anderson connected on just 5-of-28 (17.9 percent) from beyond
the arc, but out-rebounded Mars Hill 47-31 on the night.
Shugart narrowly missed his third double-double of the season by
pulling down a game-high nine rebounds, while Britton added 15
points. Brandon Young and Denzail Jones each netted 10 points.
Anderson opens a two-game conference road swing at Newberry on
Wednesday, with tip-off versus the Wolves scheduled for 8 p.m. at
Eleazer Arena.