ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson's Crosby James and Satchel Hester combined for 39 points, but Carson-Newman escaped from the Abney Athletic Center with a 72-66 win over the Trojans in South Atlantic Conference men's basketball action, Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.

"We came up a little short this afternoon," said Anderson head coach Jeff Brookman. "I'm proud of the guy's effort defensively but we just couldn't get anything going offensively against their zone. We don't have any time to hang our heads as we get prepared for Lenoir Rhyne on Monday."

Anderson (1-3, 1-3 SAC) opened a three-game homestand with the setback, while Carson-Newman (2-3, 2-3. SAC) snapped a two-game skid with the victory.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
James led all scorers with a season-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, including 5-of-7 accuracy from beyond the arc. The Columbia, S.C., native was a perfect 6-of-6 in the opening half and didn't miss a shot until the 11:23 mark of the second frame. Hester came off the bench to equal his career-high with 18 points, including 12 in the second half. A native of Lexington, S.C., Hester was 5-of-8 from long-range and also pulled down four rebounds. Senior guard Quin Nottingham added seven points and dished out a career-high nine assists and grabbed four boards. Fellow senior Josh Livingston netted nine points and also recorded four rebounds.

Freshman Luke Brenegan led four Carson-Players in double figures with 17 points, while senior EJ Bush and freshman Ren Dyer each added 14 points apiece. Senior Tripp Davis tossed in 13 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
James connected on his first 3-pointer just 43 seconds into the contest, but Carson-Newman countered with a 14-2 scoring outburst over the next 4:48 to claim the largest lead (14-5) by either team. The Trojans' defense then keyed a run of 13 straight points, as AU battled back to stake an 18-14 edge midway through the half. James ignited the comeback by draining a trey from deep on the left side, then followed up with a steal and lay-in before adding yet another 3-pointer for his eighth point in a 43-second span. Nottingham then added a layup and Hester capped the surge by sinking a 3-pointer with 10:26 on the clock.

AU crept out to a five-point advantage and held the lead until the Eagles' Tyler Bowen knocked down a pair of free throws to give C-N a 28-27 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half. James quickly answered with his fourth triple of the half before the Eagles closed the frame with four straight points to take a 32-30 halftime lead.

Second Half
Carson-Newman extended its lead to six inside the first three minutes but three consecutive 3-pointers – from James, Livingston and Hester – gave AU a brief 42-39 lead. But the Trojans were able to muster just another trey from Hester over the next three minutes and Carson-Newman capitalized by rebuilding a five-point advantage.

There were three more lead changes and a pair of ties, with Hester drilling his career-high fifth 3-pointer from the right corner, to give the Trojans their final lead of the afternoon, at 64-63, with 2:22 on the clock. Brenegan answered with a trey for the Eagles, and following a jumper by Nottingham, added four free throws inside the final 10 seconds to seal the win.

STAT OF THE DAY
The lead changed hands on 13 occasions, with neither team able to build more than a nine-point lead.

NOTES
• Carson-Newman was red-hot in the second half, shooting 57.1% (16-of-28) over the final 20 minutes.
• This afternoon's contest marked AU's third game in six days.
• AU slipped to 6-6 against the Eagles at the Abney Center.
• The Trojans pulled down 11 offensive rebounds, but Carson-Newman won the battle of the boards, 39-33.
• The Eagles outscored AU, 48-20, in the paint.
• The Trojans have recorded at least five treys in all four games, with a season-high 12 3-pointers this afternoon.
• The two teams combined to shoot just 18 free throws on the afternoon.
• Kai Rivers is a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line on the season.

UP NEXT
The Trojans continue their three-game homestand by playing their fourth game in eight days when they welcome Lenoir-Rhyne to the Electric City on Monday. Tip-off at the Abney Center is set for 5:30 p.m.