WINGATE, N.C. – Anderson University Men's Basketball (18-1, 12-1 SAC) claimed their 18th victory of the season after a chilling 65-60 battle against Wingate (9-10, 4-9 SAC) on the road Wednesday night.
The opening half started in a tight defensive contest before the Bulldogs gained control with a 13-point lead to round out the first. Anderson came out of the break poised to make a statement, setting the tone early with three back-to-back threes for a nine-point run before going 19-6. The Trojans response to the first half allowed them to regain the lead at 46-45 with 10 minutes left in the contest. A few late fouls by the Trojans closed the gap from Anderson's 10-point lead.
"Wow, what a game." said head coach
Jimmie Williams. "These guys were not going to lose this game. Down 11 at half, and we weren't playing very well. We have winners on this team. Guys who want to compete and want to win. They aren't distracted and they keep the main thing the main thing."
Four Trojans scored in the double digits with sophomore
Caleb McAbee (Saint Johns, Fla.) leading the pack recording 14 points while going 4-for-4 from behind the arc, 2-for-2 from the line and 4-for-6 from the floor for a near perfect shooting percentage. McAbee also added three rebounds and two steals to the Trojans final tally.
Junior
Osmar Garcia-Araujo (Sugar Hill, Ga.) put up 13 points and one assist on the board for an 83.3 free throw percentage and a 57.1 field goal percentage. Garcia-Araujo along with three other Trojans recorded six rebounds for a team total of 34. Junior AJ Wright. Jr. (Clearwater, Fla.) led the team defensively, grabbing six boards and four steals while dropping 11 points on the game for a perfect free throw percentage.
Redshirt senior
Kadyn Dawkins (Greensboro, N.C.) rounded out the double digit scoring for the Black & Gold with 10 points on the game while shooting 5-for-5 from the charity stripe and 1-for-1 from deep.
Anderson outshot Wingate 40.9% from the arc and 71.4 from the stripe while also holding the edge over the Bulldogs with eight steals, 11 fastbreak points, and 16 points off turnovers.
"I'm so thankful to be a part of this family." added Williams. God is at work with this team and I'm so thankful for such a special group. I'm already excited for our game Friday. Can't wait to get back to work with these guys. Wining on the road is hard, and we gave everything we had. They are so fun to coach. I really don't have many words, just wow. So thankful. I could see it on them when they walked out of the locker room at halftime. Proud of many things, but tonight it was their response and their grit, and their belief in each other."
The Trojans remain on the road in North Carolina when they travel to Mars Hill on Friday, Jan. 30 for their second matchup of the season. Tip-off time is to be determined. Check AUTrojans.com and our socials for continued game updates.
