TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Anderson University shot 49% from the field and hit 92% on the free throw line to pull away late from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and earn an 89-81 men's basketball victory at Hulbert Arena on Wednesday night.
With the win, Anderson improved to 13-11 and 8-9 in league play, clinching a bid into the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament. Rose-Hulman moved into second place in the HCAC standings at 13-4, one game behind Mount St. Joseph with one game remaining.
Malik Laffoon came off the bench to lead Anderson with 20 points. Trevor Lucas reached double figures with 19 points, and Stanley Duncan added 12 for the Ravens. Mike Peters also reached double figures for Anderson with 10 points.
Rose-Hulman's offense featured three players in double figures, led by Craig McGee with 22 points and eight assists. John Czarnecki contributed a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ryuji Aoki also reached double figrues with 13 points on three field goals from behind the three-point arc.
Anderson pulled out to a 62-52 lead, before seven straight Fightin' Engineers points brought the margin down to 62-59 at the 6:58 mark. McGee opened the spurt with a three-point play, and Czarnecki added the last four points.
Anderson pushed the lead back to seven points, but a free throw by Charlie Aimone and two more from Aoki moved Rose-Hulman within 71-69. A layup from McGee and two free throws from Czarnecki tied the score at 75-75 with 1:59 left.
Peters answered with a three-point lead that put the Ravens ahead for good at 78-75 on the next possession. Two layups from McGee brought Rose-Hulman within 80-79 at the 1:08 mark, but a conventional three-point play by Lucas at the 49-second mark gave the Ravens a two-possession edge that was never relinquished.
Rose-Hulman completes the regular season on Saturday at Manchester. The Fightin' Engineers have secured a spot in the HCAC Tournament and can improve their overall tournament seeding with a win on Saturday. Anderson moved into fifth place in the conference and secured a spot in the league's postseason tournament with the victory.
