Box Score Matt Welsh
Contributing Writer
LEXINGTON, KY. — Transylvania men's basketball earned an 86–61 victory over Anderson on Friday night in a rare Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference showdown at the Clive M. Beck Center.
Hunter Barr led all scorers with 25 points and paced the Pioneers on the glass with nine rebounds. Drew Marshall dished out 12 assists and added 11 points, while Luke Idlett and Ian Ressor contributed 19 and 13 points, respectively, as four Pioneers finished in double figures.
The game opened tightly, with Transylvania holding a slim 10–9 edge at the first timeout. The Pioneers then stepped up defensively, limiting Anderson to just nine points over the first 10 minutes to build a 19–9 lead. A three-pointer from Jaxon Smith pushed the margin to double digits midway through the half, and although the Ravens trimmed the deficit to six, Idlett responded with back-to-back three-pointers to swing momentum back in Transylvania's favor.
The Pioneers continued to control the tempo, extending the lead to 30–16 with five minutes remaining before taking a 35–18 advantage into halftime. Anderson's 18 first-half points marked the lowest total Transylvania has allowed in the opening half this season.
Transylvania displayed balanced scoring in the first half, with three players scoring nine points apiece, while Barr grabbed a team-high six rebounds. The Pioneers shot 37.5 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc before the break.
Momentum carried into the second half as Transylvania outscored Anderson 23–17 over the opening 10 minutes. Marshall knocked down a three-pointer and Barr followed with a dunk to help extend the lead to 58–35 at the midway point. The Pioneers continued to pull away, leading 65–47 with five minutes remaining before closing out the 86–61 win.
For the game, Transylvania shot 53.8 percent from the floor and 42.3 percent from three-point range. The victory improves the Pioneers to 10–8 overall and 7–4 in HCAC play.
Key Stats:
- Transylvania outrebounded Anderson, 43–25
- The Pioneers outscored the Ravens 32–28 in the paint
- Transylvania held a 12–4 advantage in second-chance points
Transylvania returns home on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, to face Berea College. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Transylvania University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. For the latest on Transylvania Athletics, visit transysports.com and follow @TransySports on Instagram.
