January 12, 2008

Boxscore

LAURINBURG, N.C.—The Anderson University men’s basketball team shot 52.0-percent for the game en route to a 79-71 Conference Carolinas men’s basketball victory over host St. Andrews Presbyterian College on Saturday afternoon in Harris Court.

Senior Nayte Russell (Birmingham, Ala.) led four Trojans (5-8 overall; 3-3 Conference Carolinas) in double-digits with a game-high 19 points. The Knights (2-11; 1-5) also had four players in double-digits with senior Bradley Hippolyte (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pacing the way with 17 points.

A freshman Zack Garst (Huntersville, N.C.) basket eight and a half minutes into the game gave St. Andrews an 10-8 lead but Anderson responded with a 22-10 run to take its largest lead of the first half, 30-20, with just under five minutes left. The Trojans maintained a nine-point advantage but a 7-1 run in the final 2:30 cut the deficit to just three, 36-33, at halftime.

Anderson freshman Stephen Cobb (Raleigh, N.C.) scored all 12 of his points in the first half to lead all scorers into the locker room. The Trojans made half their shots, 12-for-24 (50%), in the first 20 minutes while the Knights converted on 40% (10-for-25) of their attempts.

St. Andrews was able to tie the game up three times early in the second half and a Hippolyte layup with 11:28 on the clock gave the hosts their only lead of the second stanza, 48-47. Anderson answered with the next three hoops including a Russell alley-oop dunk from freshman Jarret Johnson (Greensboro, N.C.) that capped the surge that put the Trojans on top for good.

A Russell lay-in extended Anderson’s lead to eight, 61-53, with six minutes left but the Knights scored on the next three possessions to pull within two, 61-59, with four minutes remaining. A three-pointer by freshman Brandon Young (Belmont, N.C.), an old-fashion three-point play by senior Kris Fudzinskas (Vilnius, Lithuania), followed by another layup by Fudzinskas put the Trojans back ahead 69-61 with under 90 seconds left.

The Knights kept fighting and a pair of free throws by Hippolyte and a trey by senior Marcus Hoke (Charlotte, N.C.) edged St. Andrews back to within one basket, 69-66, with 58 second showing on the clock. The Knights decided to start fouling but Anderson converted on 8-of-10 from the charity stripe in the final minute to pull out the eight-point victory.

AU shot 53.8% in the second half to finish the game with a sizzling 52.0% accuracy. SAPC was 39.0% from the field in the game. Anderson held a slim 37-35 edge on the boards but committed more turnovers, 23-16.

Cobb and Fudzinskas just missed double-doubles for the Trojans. Cobb had 12 points and nine rebounds while Fudzinskas had nine points and nine boards. Johnson bucketed 11 points to go along with five assists while Young added 14 points.

Sophomore Colby Poe (Bennettsville, S.C.) followed Hippolyte’s 17 points with 16 of his own. Junior Joseph Gripper (Charlotte, N.C.) and Hoke also reached double-digits with 12 and 10 points, respectively. Hippolyte just missed a double-double with a team-high nine rebounds. Hoke dished out a team-high five assists.

St. Andrews next visits Conference Carolinas foe Queens University of Charlotte on Monday at 7:30 p.m.