Monday, January 8, 2007

LINCOLN MEMORIAL HOLDS OFF TUSCULUM IN 67-63 SAC WIN

HARROGATE, Tenn. --- Beau Brown tallied 25 points, including 15 in the second half to lead Lincoln Memorial University to a 67-63 win over visiting Tusculum College Monday night in South Atlantic Conference men’s basketball action. The Railsplitters improve to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the league, while Tusculum (7-6, 0-3 SAC) drops its third straight game.

Tusculum was paced by Chris Poore’s season-high 25 points as the Greeneville senior shot 10-of-16 from the floor, to go along with seven rebounds.

LMU’s Joplin Johnson recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while David Lopez accounted for 10 markers in the victory.

Tusculum senior Eric Williams accounted for 10 points, while senior Larry Minnefee added eight points late in the game.

LMU used an 11-2 run over a five minute span in the second half as the Railsplitters led 53-44 with 8:17 remaining. TC cut the deficit to 53-50 thanks to lay-up by Corey Poindexter two minutes later, but LMU moved the lead back to nine (61-52) and Lopez knocked down a pair of free throws with four minutes left on the clock.

Tusculum mounted another rally, using an 8-1 run as Minneffee came off the bench and knocked down a pair of treys and drove home a lay-up as TC trailed 62-60 with 1:13 remaining. LMU’s Kai Wells had his jumper with 47 seconds left blocked by Williams as TC had a chance to go ahead, but Jordan Lear’s three-pointer was off the mark as Brown came down with the crucial rebound with 27 seconds remaining.

The Railsplitters made five of their final six free throws, including two each by Brown and Lopez to seal the win.

Tusculum returns to action Wednesday to face Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C.

- TC -