ANDERSON, S.C. – Anderson University Men's Basketball (14-2, 18-2 SAC) advance to 12-1 in Abney Athletic Center after claiming a 91-83 victory over UVA Wise (20-8, 13-7) in a redemption contest on Senior Night Saturday evening.
"Really proud of our effort tonight." said head coach
Jimmie Williams.
From the opening tip, both teams battled aggressively on both ends of the floor. The Trojans spoke early with a series of early baskets, but the Cavaliers responded to each run with their own, evening the score six times. Neither team held a clear advantage before heading into the break. The Trojans surged to a 10-point lead with nine minutes remaining in the second half before UVA wise responded to narrow the scoring. A few late fouls allowed the Black and Gold to pull away for a double-digit margin at the final buzzer to secure the redemption.
"The game was played at our pace." added Williams. "We wanted the game in the full court and fast. The quickest way to get the pace up is to get stops and force turnovers. We did both with a team that plays together and is tough to stop when we get out in transition."
Four Trojans posted double digits on the board with freshman
Rashawn Inglemon (Sacramento, Calif.) anchoring the Black and Gold, setting the tone offensively with 23 points while shooting 66.6% both from the floor and the charity stripe. Junior
Osmar Garcia-Araujo (Sugar Hill, Ga.) went 12-for-13 from the line, tallying 22 points and adding seven rebounds to the Trojan's final. Redshirt-senior
Kadyn Dawkins (Greensboro, N.C.) dropped 12 points on the night, shooting 100% from the stripe and 50% from behind the arc. Senior
Malachi Reeves (Lexington, S.C.) finished Anderson's double-digit scoring with 10 buckets along with three rebounds.
Sophomore
Caleb McAbee shot a perfect 100% on the evening, going 3-for-3 from both the floor and behind the arc to tally nine points. Junior
AJ Wright Jr. recorded a season-high 12 assists, just shy of his own school record of 14 in a single game that was set in Jan. 2024. Wright Jr. also grabbed seven boards and notched five steals to lead the Trojan's defense.
Although the Cavaliers outshot the Trojans in all areas, Anderson notched the victory, recording 38 points in the paint and 22 points off turnovers, eight steals with an 81.5 free throw percentage.
"What a crowd tonight. I've been a part of some packed houses in Abney but tonight was special. Thankful our seniors got to be honored in front what seemed like all of Anderson. We will miss Sam, Kadyn, James and Malachi, and will forever be grateful for their impact, making us better on and off the court. All four are great men. What a blessing it has been coaching this team."
The Black and Gold round out their home contests of the regular season when they host Lenoir-Rhyne for a high-stakes regular-season South Atlantic Conference title on Wednesday, Feb. 25. The contest is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Abney Athletic Center.
