ANDERSON, S.C. – In a battle for sole possession of fourth place in the South Atlantic Conference standings, the Tusculum men's basketball team outlasted the Trojans, 74-66, Saturday afternoon at the Abney Athletic Center.
"Unfortunately, we did not take advantage of a great opportunity tonight," said Anderson head coach Jeff Brookman. "With the exception of the first five to six minutes, we couldn't get or sustain any momentum on the offensive end. It was a disappointing effort in front of the home crowd. I have to do a better job having the team ready and prepared."
Anderson (15-9, 10-8 SAC) suffered its second loss in three decisions, while Tusculum (16-10, 11-7 SAC) swept the season series with its fifth win in six decisions.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Senior guard Shawn Benard scored a game-high 19 points and pulled down seven rebounds, while junior guard Quin Nottingham and sophomore center Jason Edwards each added 12 points apiece. Edwards also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, with Nottingham handing out a game-high five assists. Sophomore forward Satchel Hester tallied 11 points, with Crosby James II netting 10.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
AU jumped out to an early, 8-2, advantage with 16:52 on the clock, and even though the Trojans held the lead until midway through the half, the six-point margin was the largest of the afternoon for the Black and Gold.
Tusculum then used a 10-2 spurt to turn a three-point AU advantage into a five-point Pioneer lead with just less than seven minutes on the clock, while the Trojans battled back and the rest of the half featured four ties and four lead changes, before Tusculum took a 32-28 lead into halftime.
Second Half
The first seven minutes of the second frame was more of the same, with three lead changes, two tie scores and neither team claiming more than a four-point lead until the Pioneers snapped 42-42 deadlock with a 16-6 run over a five-minute span to take a 56-48 lead at the 7:54 mark.
AU climbed within four on two occasions inside the final five minutes, but was unable to overtake the Pioneers.
NOTABLES
• Shawn Benard moved into 12th-place on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,059 career points.
• The top four teams in the league standings will host a SAC Tournament Quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday, March 4.
• Tusculum out-rebounded the Trojans, 39-34.
• The Trojans had five players reach double-figure scoring for the fifth time this season.
• AU slipped to 8-3 at home this season.
• AU holds a 16-6 advantage in the all-time series
UP NEXT
The Trojans visit Coker on Wednesday night. Tip-off versus the Cobras in Hartsville, S.C., is set for 7:30 p.m.
