UGUSTA, Ga. - The Anderson University men's basketball team overcame a late three-point deficit in regulation with a rare four-point play, but was unable to hold on for the win, falling, 78-72, to Clayton State in overtime on the final day of action of the South Atlantic Conference-Peach Belt Conference Challenge, hosted by GRU Augusta Saturday afternoon at Christenberry Fieldhouse.

Anderson slipped to 0-2 on the season, while Clayton State improved to 2-0 on the strength of its second come-from-behind win in as many days. For the second straight contest, the Trojans outshot their opponent, but lost the rebounding battle by three. The game was tied on nine occasions and the lead changed hands 11 times, with neither team able to build more than a seven-point lead through the contest.

Senior guard Alani Adekambi recorded a career-high 19 points, while senior guard Myson Jones added 17 points and handed out six assists. Sophomore guard Lex Davis tallied a career-best 12 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds on the afternoon.

The Trojans overcame a 14-13 deficit at the 12:39 mark of the first half with seven unanswered points, as Davis sank a pair of free throws and Jones nailed a 3-pointer 36 seconds later. Adekambi capped the run with two from the charity stripe, as the Trojans claimed a 20-14 lead with exactly 11 minutes remaining in the opening half.

But the Lakers responded with a 12-2 surge over the next five minutes to take a 26-22 advantage, as the Trojans went cold, misfiring on four free throw attempts and four shots from the field.

However, trailing by four Anderson closed the first half on a 14-7 run to take a 36-33 lead at halftime, as the Trojans out-dueled their opponent through the opening 20 minutes for the second consecutive game.

AU built the lead to seven inside the first three minutes of the second stanza and held the advantage until inside the final minute of regulation. Sophomore Rakish Taylor's layup with 3:01 left in regulation gave the Trojans a 61-57 edge, but the Lakers' Dantez Bennamon countered with five unanswered points to give Clayton State its first lead, at 62-61, since the 5:02 mark of the first half. The 5-foot-11 freshman added a pair of free throws with 33 seconds on the clock to boost CSU's edge to 64-61.

With Anderson trailing by three, Adekambi recorded the four-point play with 21 second remaining in regulation, giving the Trojans a 65-64 edge. The Lakers' Kelsey Terry missed a potential go-ahead layup with six seconds on the clock and Clayton State was forced to foul, sending AU's Taylor to the free throw line. The 6-foot-7 center connected on both clutch free throws with four ticks on the clock to boost Anderson's lead to 67-64, but the Lakers inbounded the ball to Terry, who drained the game-tying 3-pointer from well beyond the arc as time expired.

The Trojans scored the first two points of the extra frame on two free throws from Adekambi, but Clayton State countered with a 6-1 run to take a lead it would not surrender.

Anderson will look to collect its first win of the early season when the Trojans visit yet another Peach Belt Conference-opponent, Young Harris, on Wednesday. Tip-off versus the Mountain Lions is set for 7:30 p.m.