Transylvania Rallies, Survives Anderson

It came down to the final possession, but Transylvania University survived the Anderson University men's basketball team with an 87-84 win during Saturday's Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) matchup in Lexington, Ky.

The Ravens (9-6, 7-1) led the Pioneers (8-7, 5-3) by a score of 63-57 with 8 minutes, 59 seconds to go in the contest. During the next 3:33, the Pioneers sparked a 13-0 run to take a 70-63 lead with 5:26 remaining. Matthew Teague scored eight points during the run.

COACH CARTER COLLINS'S COMMENTS

• It was a disappointing game - we talked about how we were going to need to play 40 good minutes to get the win, and we played about 30. Midway through the second half, things fell apart a bit. We did find our footing in the last few minutes, but it was too late.
• With that being said, we knew going into it that winning at Transylvania is extremely difficult - nobody has done it all year, and I doubt very many will the rest of the year either, if any - and all of our goals are still in front of us.
• We're really looking forward to getting back in front of our home crowd on Wednesday night - the first time in quite a while that we've had a home game with students on campus.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The early part of the first half was back and forth as the contest consisted of seven lead changes and two ties in the opening 9 minutes, 4 seconds.
• A bucket-and-1 from Alex Hunt gave Anderson a 21-17 lead with 8:39 left in the first half. Fred Shropshire knocked down a 3-pointer on the following possession to go up by seven.
• Transylvania cut the lead to 34-32 when Colby Napier drained three 3-pointers in a one-minute span. Baskets from Hunt and Camden Smith during the stretch helped keep the lead for the Ravens.
• Luke Schroeder tied the game for the Pioneers and a Jaylan Green layup gave Transylvania a 36-34 advantage. The Ravens closed the half with a 7-0 run, entering halftime with a 41-36 lead.
• Transylvania opened the second half with the first four points to cut the lead to one. Anderson compiled a 12-2 run to take a 53-42 lead with 15:29 to go. Bryson Huckeby scored six points during the run.
• Daniel Mullins hit a 3-pointer and then drained a pair of free throws on the following possession to cut Anderson's lead to 57-52 with 11:15 remaining.
• Gavin Dowling converted a shot from behind the arc to put the Ravens ahead 63-57 with 8:59 to go.
• The Pioneers posted a 13-0 run during the next 3:33 to take a 70-63 lead with 5:26 remaining. Teague produced eight points during the run.
• Napier hit a basket to put the Pioneers up 72-65 with 4:18 to go, but received an unsportsmanlike conduct technical, awarding two free-throw attempts to Tate Ivanyo. After Ivanyo hit both free throws, he capitalized on retaining the possession with another basket, narrowing the lead to 72-69 with 4:07 to go.
• Napier completed a bucket-and-1 for the Pioneers. Gadis responded with a 3-pointer, making the score 75-72 Transylvania lead with 3:27 to go.
• Following a basket from Hunter Penn, Ivanyo knocked down a 3-pointer to cut the Pioneers' lead to 77-75 with 2:40 remaining.
• On the next set of possessions, Teague split a pair of free throws and then Smith sank a pair of free throws to trim the lead to 78-77 with 2:03 to go.
• Teague scored on the following possession. After an Anderson missed 3-pointer, Teague scored again to put Transylvania ahead 82-77.
• After the two teams traded a pair of free throws, Ivanyo knocked down a 3-pointer to cut Transylvania's lead to 84-82 with 32 seconds to go.
• Mullins split a pair of free throws with eight seconds to go, giving Anderson the opportunity to tie on the final possession, but the Ravens came up empty.
• With the win, the Pioneers moved to 6-0 on their home court this season.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Pioneers knocked down 31-of-60 (51.7 percent) shots from the field while the Ravens made 28-of-62 (45.2 percent) attempts from the floor.
• Transylvania outrebounded Anderson 40-31.
• The Ravens drained 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) shots from the perimeter while the Pioneers hit 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) attempts from behind the arc.
• Transylvania converted 16-of-22 (72.7 percent) attempts from the free-throw line while Anderson made 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) shots from the charity stripe.
• Tate Ivanyo – 24 Points, 7 Rebounds, 6/9 (66.7%) 3FG
• Camden Smith – 19 Points, 4 Assists
• Alex Hunt – 9 Points
• Jordan Gadis – 9 Points
• Bryson Huckeby – 9 Points
• Elijah Mattingly – 6 Points, 2 Blocks
• Gavin Dowling – 5 Points
• Fred Shropshire – 3 Points

UP NEXT

The Ravens still hold first place outright in the HCAC standings. Rose-Hulman of Institute of Technology (9-6, 6-2) stands alone in second place in the conference standings one game behind the Ravens. Coming off a four-game road stand, Anderson faces off with Rose-Hulman in HCAC action on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.