WISE, VA. – Anderson University Men's Basketball (15-1, 9-1 SAC) suffered their first loss of the season on the road against conference opponent UVA Wise (14-4, 7-3 SAC) on Saturday evening.
"Tough one today." said head coach
Jimmie Williams. "One thing I'm sure of, we will be better because of it. This is an opportunity for growth and for a response. Hats off to UVA Wise. They played a great game and made big plays late."
The Cavaliers came out strong, scoring the first five points of the game to establish an early lead. The contest remained tight in the opening half, with both teams answering each other's scores. Anderson found their rhythm with a 6-0 run to set the Trojans up for their largest lead of 12 points with just two minutes left in the first. The Black and Gold maintained their lead but despite their defensive efforts, the Cavaliers recorded a seven-point run to even the score and came out on top after a late play in the final half to secure the victory.
Freshman
Rashawn Inglemon (Sacramento, Calif.) led the Trojans scoring, posting 15 points on the game while shooting 75.0% from the charity line and 50% from three. Defensively, Inglemon added six rebounds on the game, adding to the team's final tally of 35. Junior Osmar Garcia Araujo (Sugar Hill, Ga.) anchored Anderson's defense, posting nine boards and three steals while also guiding the team offensively with 14 points, nine assists, and shooting 66.6% from the charity stripe. Rounding out double digit scoring for the Trojans was senior Malachai Reeves (Lexington, S.C.) with 12 and redshirt-senior
Kadyn Dawkins (Greensboro, N.C.) with 10.
The Black and Gold outperformed Wise in the first half shooting 60.0% from the line and 30.0% from behind the arc. Overall, Anderson held the edge over the Cavaliers in steals and assists while shooting 17.6% from three. Both teams recorded 35 total rebounds on the game.
Anderson rounds out the first pass through conference play when they travel to No. 21 Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday, Jan. 21. The contest is slated for 7:30 p.m.
