HICKORY, N.C. – Two nights ago, Anderson senior Alex Keel dropped in a 17-foot jumper with 11.7 seconds remaining to lift the Trojans to a one-point win at Newberry and the 6-foot-2 guard repeated history Saturday night by draining a 17-foot jumper with 5.2 seconds left to propel the AU men's basketball team to an 80-79 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne in South Atlantic Conference action at Shuford Gym.
"I am so happy for the guys," said Anderson head coach Jeff Brookman. "They made all the plays down the stretch on both ends of the floor. We got two huge steals in the full court and Jalen and Alex made two big shots. If you fight and claw to give yourself a chance, you just never know what can happen. So much to improve on offensively and defensively but so little time to do so. We will put this one behind us and focus on Monday's game against Queens."
Anderson (5-6, 5-6 SAC) wrapped up their three-game road swing by earning its second straight win, while handing the Bears their first loss in four outings. Lenoir-Rhyne (7-3, 7-3 SAC), which had won three straight, suffered its first home loss of the season in five decisions.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Junior Jalen Hillery posted a game-high, season-high 23 points and pulled down five rebounds, while sophomore guard Crosby James II added 18 points and five boards. Junior guard Kai Rivers netted 12 points and dished out a game-high four assists. Senior forward Josh Livingston tallied nine points and four rebounds, while Keel finished with eight points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Half
Livingston banked in a short jumper midway through the opening frame to give the Trojans an 18-17 lead, but Lenoir-Rhyne answered with an 11-2 surge as part of a 16-7 run that gave the Bears a 33-25 advantage with just less than six minutes on the clock.
The Trojans still trailed by eight less than a minute later, but AU chipped away and Hillery scored five straight to pull the Trojans within 39-37. Following a free throw by the Bears' Zim Fields, James converted on a traditional three-point play to deadlock the halftime score at 40-40.
Second Half
Livingston dropped in a layup less than a minute into the final half to give the Trojans a 44-42 lead, but Newberry responded by scoring six straight points to claim a 48-44 lead, with the four-point edge marking the largest lead by either team over the final 19 minutes of the contest.
AU knotted the score at 50-50, but the Wolves countered with an old-fashioned three-point play and held the advantage until James hit a jumper that gave AU a 60-59 lead midway through the half. The lead changed hands six more times and it looked bleak for the Black and Gold when they fell behind by six late in the contest and still trailed, 79-75, when L-R's Darius Simmons dropped in a swirling turnaround floater in the lane with 2:13 on the clock.
With both teams trading missed shots, turnovers and the Bears running the clock, neither squad found the bottom of the net until James swiped a steal and Rivers found Hillery open in the left corner. The junior from Lawrenceville, Ga., paid dividends by nailing his fifth 3-pointer of the contest to pull AU within 79-78 with just 10.8 seconds remaining.
Following a pair of timeouts by each team, Keel swiped the Bears' long in-bounds pass, dribbled down the right side and launched the game-winner from just inside the arc with just 5.2 seconds left. Tyson McClain's desperation heave for the Bears fell short at the buzzer.
ANDERSON STAT OF THE DAY
The Trojans recorded 18 assists – their second-highest tally of the season.
NOTABLES
• The game featured seven ties and 19 lead changes, including six in the final 8:10.
• The Trojans won their second road game of the season.
• L-R lost at home for the fist time this season, falling to 4-1 at Shuford Gym.
• The Trojans equaled a season-high after being whistled for 25 fouls.
• AU overcame the Bears' overwhelming advantage at the free throw line – The Trojans were 12-of-17 (70.6%), while L-R was 25-of-27 (92.6%).
• AU out-rebounded Lenoir-Rhyne, 37-28, and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds.
• The Trojans also overcame a season-high 18 turnovers.
• The Trojans have won five of the last six matchups with the Bears.
UP NEXT
Anderson will get back on the court Monday, when the Trojans open a four-game homestand by playing host to No. 20 Queens. The Trojans and Royals will be squaring off for the second time in a week, with AU looking to avenge a four-point overtime loss in Charlotte last Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Abney Athletic Center.
