ANDERSON S.C. – Anderson University Men's Basketball (17-1, 11-1 SAC) held Emory & Henry (11-7, 6-6) to a tightly contested battle, defeating the Wasps 61-54 at home Friday evening.
 
"Tough teams win games like tonight." said head coach Jimmie Williams.
 
Emory & Henry took an early lead to start the contest before the Trojans went 14-4 for a double-digit lead with 13 minutes left in the opening half. The contest stayed tight throughout, with the Wasps closing the gap when Anderson pushed their lead. AU pulled away during the final five minutes of the game, going 8-for-9 from the charity stripe after late fouls were committed by Emory & Henry.
 
"Really proud of how we stayed together and got enough stops to get out of there with a win tonight." added Williams. Hats off to Coach Jimmy Allen. That team we played tonight was not the same team we played Thanksgiving weekend. He has done a fantastic job getting his team better which is evident to anyone that watched tonight."
 
Junior Osmar Garcia-Araujo (Suar Hill, Ga.) notched his third double-double of the season, filling in the stat sheet to lead the Trojans in many categories. He posted 20 points while shooting 55.5% from the floor and 71.4% from the line. Defensively, Garcia-Araujo grabbed 11 boards while tallying two blocks and two steals on the game.
 
Redshirt senior Kadyn Dawkins (Greensboro, N.C.) rounded out the double digit scoring for Anderson with 15 points added to the teams' final tally while going 5-for-7 from behind the arc. Junior AJ Wright Jr. (Clearwater, Fla.) and freshman Rashawn Ingelmon (Sacramento, Calif.) each went 4-for-4 from the stripe with Wright Jr. adding five rebounds, four assists, and three steals to the Trojans' totals.
 
The final numbers reflected the battle on the floor with the two teams nearly even in every major statistical category. Neither team gained an advantage in rebounds with both the Trojans and the Wasps grabbing 34 rebounds during the contest. Anderson held the defensive edge over E&H with 20 forced turnovers, nine steals and two blocks.
 
"I hope everyone stays safe out there this weekend. Awesome that we had a packed house on a rescheduled game with an early tip. Our Trojan Army is really something special. I love this team."
 
The Black and Gold return to the road when they travel to Wingate on Wednesday, Jan. 28 for a mid-week matchup. The contest is slated for 7:30 p.m.