Box Score
Box score
ANDERSON, S.C. - With a balanced offensive attack and a stellar
defensive effort in the first half, the Anderson University men's
basketball team continued its three-game homestand by overwhelming
Tusculum, 75-65, in South Atlantic Conference action Wednesday
night at the Abney Athletic Center.
Anderson (10-11, 6-9 SAC) won its second straight contest and
improved to 10-1 all-time versus the Pioneers, while moving to 7-3
at home on the season. Tusculum fell to 4-16 overall and 4-11 in
conference action with its second straight defeat.
The first matchup of the season between the two teams saw the
Trojans win the battle pf the boards, 34-29, and hold Tusculum to
38.3 percent shooting from the field, including 25 percent in the
decisive first half.
Senior Myson Jones led the Trojans offensively with 17 points,
while dishing out a team-high four assists. Senior center Chris
Ross, coming off his second double-double of the season, added 15
points, including 10 in the first half. The 6-foot-8 center
connected on six-of-seven attempts from the field. Senior Nick
Jackson tallied 12 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard
Matthew McClain, who posted his first career double-double last
Saturday in the win over Newberry, narrowly missed a double-double
with 10 points and a team-high eight boards.
Tusculum junior guard Javon Price poured in a game-high 22
points on the strength of six 3-pointers. Sophomore center Chase
Mounce recorded a double-double for the Pioneers, with 15 points
and a game-best 10 rebounds.
With Ross dropping in the first basket of the contest, the
Trojans led wire-to-wire and jumped out to a quick 10-2 lead at the
16:49 mark on back-to-back 3-pointers from Jones and McClain.
Following a put-back by Tusculum's Matt Shown, Trojan freshman Tre'
Fields sandwiched his two 3-pointers of the night around a trey
from Price to boost Anderson's advantage to 16-7 less than four
minutes into the opening half.
Following a steal by McClain, Fields found himself on the
receiving end of a fast-break assist, as he scored his eighth
straight point to give AU its first double-digit lead, at 18-7,
with 14:29 on the clock. After Price connected on another 3-pointer
to trim AU's lead to seven, Ross sparked a 14-3 outburst over the
next eight minutes that saw the Trojans claim a 32-13 cushion with
6:22 remaining in the half. Jackson added five points during the
breakout, while McClain recorded an impressive reverse dunk to help
fuel the surge.
Both teams then struggled to find their rhythm on the offensive
end, as the Trojans claimed a 35-17 lead at halftime.
Anderson opened the second half with a 9-3 run to take a 44-20
advantage, marking its largest lead of the night. The Trojans
maintained the double-digit cushion until the Pioneers crept back
within 71-62 with 1:29 remaining in the game. AU was just 4-of-8
from the line in the final 90 seconds, but Tusculum was unable to
capitalize, as the Pioneers were just one-of-four from the field in
the closing moments.
The Trojans wrap up their three-game homestand Saturday
afternoon, as Wingate invades the Abney Athletic Center for a 4
p.m. tip-off. Anderson will be looking for a sweep of the season
series after knocking off the Bulldogs, 76-73, in this season's
first meeting between the two teams.