Anderson, Ind. – In a tightly contested Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opener, the Anderson University Ravens broke a late tie with 3:18 to go to hold off the Transylvania men's basketball team in a 79-75 Ravens win at O.C. Lewis Gymnasium on Thursday evening.

Zach Larimore led the Pioneers with 20 points and nine rebounds over 37 minutes in a gallant effort that saw the Pioneers come up short in the first conference game of the season for both teams.

Anderson won its first game of the season to move to 1-0 overall while the Pioneers fell to 0-1 against Division III teams and 0-6 overall.

Larimore set the tone early for the Pioneers with six of Transy's first 10 points as the Pioneers built a 10-9 advantage eight minutes into the ballgame. Transylvania continued to display its inside game as Dominique Turner and Lucas Gentry struck from the interior to give the Pioneers a 17-12 upper hand with 8:17 remaining in the first half.

The Pioneers expanded their largest lead of the half to nine at 21-12 after a Turner jumper on the way to a 13-point night for the senior.

Three-point shooting in the first half befell the Pioneers while Anderson heated up from outside, hitting 5 of 10 in the first half to get back into the game. The Pioneers missed on all seven of their first-half 3-point attempts resulting in a 32-29 Anderson halftime lead.

The Pioneers discovered their 3-point game in the second half, making 6 of 15 attempts to jet back ahead; Larimore connected on a three-pointer with 13:50 remaining in the game and Aiden Pashley scored on an and-one drive on the next possession to give Transylvania a 48-42 lead.

Transylvania extended its lead to 12 after Larimore tossed in another triple with 10:11 to go, making the score 56-44 in favor of the Pioneers. Anderson responded with a 17-6 run over the next five minutes to pull within one at 62-61 approaching the final five minutes of regulation.

The Ravens grabbed the lead at 66-65 with three and half minutes remaining before Turner split a pair of free throws on the following possession for a 66-66 deadlock. Anderson then scored on its next three possessions to take a 71-66 lead at the 2:03 mark of the second half.

With the Ravens still nursing a five point lead inside the final minute, the hosts scored on a clutch layup with half a minute to go to put the game out of reach.

Gentry finished the night with 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block while Pashley added 10 points off the bench in his season debut for Transylvania.

The Pioneers held a 42-36 advantage on points in the paint but the modest figures from the foul line for both teams in which Anderson shot 18 for 29 and Transy hit 15 of 23 free throws set the stage for the compelling finish.

The teams will rematch on Saturday in Lexington as part of the HCAC schedule configuration in the abbreviated 2021 regular season. Tip-off between the Ravens and Pioneers is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. from the Beck Center.

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