Box Score
Box score
BREVARD, N.C. - Despite junior Sierra Simpson's 17 points and 10
assists for her third double-double of the season, Anderson
University women's basketball was unable to hang to its halftime
lead, falling to South Atlantic Conference member Brevard, 78-73,
Wednesday evening at the Boshamer Gymnasium.
To go along with her 17 points and 10 assists, Simpson notched
six rebounds for her second double-double with points and assists.
Following the guard was junior sharpshooter Lesley Woods who
drained five 3-pointers, including three in the final four minutes.
Freshman Heather Jankowy recorded three first half 3-pointers en
route to 11 points, while classmate Alexis Dillard posted a
game-high 13 rebounds.
For the game, the Trojans shot 43.9 percent (25-for-57) from the
field and 38.5 percent (10-for-26) from 3-point range, but was
unable to contain BC's shooting performance of 51.1 percent
(24-for-47) from the floor and 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from behind
the arc. In the teams' earlier meeting, BC shot just 28 percent
from the field and 22.7 percent from 3-point range, as AU held
Brevard to just 54 points.
"This was a tough loss on the road," Anderson head coach Jimmy
Garrity said. "I give Brevard a lot of credit on how hard they
played and making big shots in key situations. I thought we did a
good job on the boards, especially, offensively, but had a hard
time in converting them into second chance points."
The Tornados were paced by Madison Lenox with a game-high 23
points in 36 minutes, finishing 7-of-12 from the floor. Lenox was
followed by guard Lynsey Crisp with 19 points and Shelby Wolfe with
17 points. With the trio combining for 59 points, they produced
75.6 percent of the scoring for the Tornados.
Anderson began the game quickly, jumping out to a 10-point
advantage with 13:33 left in the opening period after Simpson
knocked in a jumper at the 20-10 mark, which would be its largest
lead of the contest.
Following the bucket, the Tornados began to cut into the AU
lead, dropping the deficit to just two points with 3:10 remaining
when Lenox knocked in her lone trey in the opening period. Brevard
would eventually even the score at 37-37 when Crisp knocked in
back-to-back free throws.
After junior Jasmine Franklin scored a jumper with under a
minute remaining in the opening period, Crisp would be fouled by
freshman Nakia Young which would send Crisp back to the free throw
line. Crisp made both to even the score at 39-39 with 18 seconds
left, but AU answered with late lay-in by Simpson to take a 41-39
lead into halftime. Simpson closed the opening half with a
team-high 12 points.
Wolfe recorded a jumper to even the score at 41-41 to open the
second half, but Dillard retook the lead when Simpson fed the ball
underneath to the freshman who netted an easy lay-in. The 43-41
lead would be the Trojans' last advantage of the contest.
With Brevard holding at least a five-point advantage for the
next 15 minutes after Crisp buried a 3-pointer following the
Dillard lay-in at the 18:23 mark, the Tornados took their largest
lead of the game when of six Taylor Hiatt made two free throws with
3:54 left. Hiatt eventually finished the game with five points and
seven rebounds.
Facing their largest deficit, Woods answered with a deep trey to
chip into the BC lead. After Wolfe brought the Brevard lead back to
five with a lay-in, Simpson went on a 4-0 run by herself, bringing
the Trojans within one with just over a minute remaining.
On the next possession, the Tornados answered when Hiatt buried
a 3-pointer from the wing to bring the lead back to four. Not to be
outdone, Woods grabbed a pass from Jankowy on the opposite end and
netted her final trey of the contest, sending the score to 74-73
with 33 seconds left.
Needing a defensive stop on the opposite end, BC got its most
important basket of the evening when Lenox fed Wolfe under the
Anderson basket for a lay-in to bring the score to 76-73 with 18
seconds left.
Setting up a play on AU's next possession, Jankowy's pass to
Woods in the corner to too strong and the ball bounced off Woods'
hands and out-of-bounds. After being fouled, Lenox clinched the
game with two free throws, handing Brevard its sixth victory of the
season and drawing a game behind Anderson in the conference
standings at 4-7.
"We didn't do a good job taking care of the ball," Garrity said.
"It's tough to win when you turn the ball over 24 times. We will
learn from this game put it behind us as we prepare for a big game
this weekend."
With her five treys on the night, Woods moved into sole
possession of 10th-place in the program's all-time 3-pointers made
list, passing Regina McCoy (1997-00). The junior now has 111 made
3-pointers for her career. Senior Emily Willoughby is now four
3-pointers from 100 for her career after notching two on the
evening.
The setback snaps a five-game winning streak over Brevard and
marks AU's second loss at Boshamer Gymnasium in four tries. The
loss also marks the first time Anderson has fallen this season when
scoring 70 points or more for game.
The Trojans look to bounce back this weekend when it welcomes
SAC newcomer Queens to the Abney Athletic Center on Saturday.
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.