Box Score Ray Anderson's layup with 43 seconds left tied it.

His jumper with 1.2 seconds left won it.

Anderson scored 15 points to lead five Panthers in double figures, and Virginia Union came from behind to defeat Shaw 77-75 on Saturday, December 10, in Barco-Stevens Hall in Richmond, Va.

While Shaw and the Panthers are both in the CIAA, the game doesn't count as a conference game.

After Anderson's lay-in, the Bears called a timeout to set up a play with 27 seconds left. Benji Bell (who led Shaw with 23 points, along with Joshua Cassady) missed a contested floater in the lane and got tied up with Anderson for a jump ball after the miss. The possession arrow gave the Panthers the ball with 18.6 seconds left.

Union isolated Anderson at the top of the key. He dribbled the clock down before sinking a step-back jumper from the free throw line with 1.2 left.

"I pretty much was trying to get to the rim all night long, so I knew once I baited him in and pulled back, I knew I'd get the separation for a jump shot," said Anderson.

Shaw's ensuing inbound pass was knocked down, and Union picked up its seventh win of the season.

"That was a good one," said Union coach Jay Butler, who called for an Anderson isolation play following the jump ball. "I told him, 'Don't let them go back down the other end.' We were going to win or we were going into overtime. I wanted him to get all the way to the basket, but he got to his sweet spot. He's probably one of the best mid-range shooters in the country."
Anderson's thinking?

"Just go out and make a play for my teammates," he said, "try to put the game away."

Anderson also dished out a season-high seven assists, a team-best five in the first half. He scored just 5 points in the first half, but his dribble penetration allowed the Union big men to get involved early.

"We had been preaching that all year," said Butler. "Let's put together a total team effort. Lets get five or six guys in double figures ... We got the inside guys going. I think that's going to be our key. Devin Moore played a huge game. William Jenkins played well.

"John Mitchell stepped up and made plays when we needed him to. Tavon Mealy kept plugging away. With those big guys, we're going to have a lot of success if we get them the ball."

Mitchell scored 11 points the first half and finished with 12. Mealy scored 14 and Moore finished with 10 points. Jenkins scored 8.

The Panthers' defense forced 10 Shaw turnovers after halftime, mainly the results of traps and pressure on the Bears' ballhandlers.

Union shot 60.6 percent from the field in the second half and finished the game with 52 points in the paint. Its bench contributed 33 points.

Union's last home game before Saturday was an overtime loss to Washington Adventist on Nov. 20. Butler wasn't thrilled with how his team played down the stretch.

He said he tipped his cap to his team after the win over Shaw.

"Today they executed down the stretch," he said.