NEWBERRY, S.C. – Anderson University Men's Basketball (0-2, 0-0 SAC) dropped its first road contest to nonconference opponent Erskine (1-0, 0-0 CC) in a chilling 82-85 buzzer beater finish against the Flying Fleet during the first contest of the SAC / CC Challenge Saturday afternoon.
Redshirt junior
Andrew Sineway (Boynton Beach, Fla.) opened the scoring and put the Trojans on the board with a slam dunk, setting the tone early before Erskine established a firm advantage with the Trojans trailing behind for much of the opening half.
Sineway sent the Trojans into the break with momentum, draining a shot from behind half court as the time expired to give Anderson a much-needed spark heading into the locker room.
Anderson carried their momentum into the second half, as the two teams traded baskets in an increasingly tight contest. Neither side was able to create a firm separation, with the Black and Gold answering each Erskine scoring run. Anderson took their first lead of the evening on a three-pointer from junior
Will Olden (Blythewood, S.C.) with 8:38 remaining in the matchup.
With the game tied at 82-82 and just five seconds remaining, graduate student
Kory Davis (Gastonia, N.C.) connected a pair of free throws to take the lead before Erskine responded in a dramatic fashion, connecting a half-court heave as time expired to seal the 85-82 victory.
Leading the Trojans offense was Sineway with his first double-double of the season, putting up 27 points while adding 13 rebounds to Anderson's total. Davis also recorded double figures for the black and gold, notching 18 points on the court while adding five rebounds and three assists. Freshman
Blake Neill (Bloomfield, Ind.) rounded out Anderson's top scorers with 16 points and seven rebounds while shooting 50% from the court.
The back-and-forth battle was reflected across the stats sheet as both teams finished with 36 points in the paint and exchanged the lead five times. The Black and Gold's bench boasted 26 points while the Flying Fleet held a narrow advantage in shooting efficiency.
The Black and Gold return to Newberry, S.C. when they face nonconference opponent Belmont Abbey to round out the SAC / Conference Carolinas Challenge. Tipoff is slated for 4:30 p.m.
