Hickory, N.C. - The Anderson University Men's Basketball Team (8-3, 3-0) remained undefeated in South Atlantic Conference play with a 75-72 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne University (4-8, 0-3) at Shuford Memorial Gymnasium Wednesday night.

The Trojans' Taylor Shugart (Rock Hill, S.C.) finished with a game-high 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting while Chandler Hash (Greer, S.C.) added 15 points as Anderson stayed in a first-place tie atop the league standings with Lincoln Memorial.

Sophomore guard Hunter McClintock (Durham, N.C.) scored a season-high 21 points including 17 after halftime to go along with six three-pointers for the Bears despite the loss.

Anderson led by as many as 16 points - 27-11 with 6:42 remaining in the first half - before Lenoir-Rhyne closed the Trojans' lead to 38-34 entering break.

The Trojans once again pushed the margin to double digits and held a 61-48 advantage midway through the second half on a jump shot by Shugart.

Lenoir-Rhyne, however, rallied again and trimmed the lead to one point (73-72) on a running lay-up from freshman guard A.J. McKenzie (Gastonia, N.C.) with seven seconds left.

After Anderson's Denzail Jones (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) sank a pair of free throws to push the advantage back to three, an L-R three-point attempt rimmed out at the top of the key as time ran out which would have forced overtime.

Also scoring in double figures for the Bears on the night were freshman guard Denzel Dillingham (Hickory, N.C.) and junior forward B.J. Beasley (Charlotte, N.C.) with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.

Lenoir-Rhyne faces Carson-Newman in a South Atlantic Conference game Saturday in Jefferson City, Tenn., beginning at 4 p.m.? Anderson next plays at Catawba in a league contest Saturday at 4 p.m., as well.