Wednesday, February 7, 2007

CATAWBA WINS DEFENSIVE BATTLE 60-46 AT TUSCULUM

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Norman Monroe scored 16 points off the bench as the Catawba men's basketball team posted a 60-46 South Atlantic Conference win at Tusculum College Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.

The Catawba Indians (12-9, 7-3 SAC) sweep the season series over the Pioneers (10-12, 3-8 SAC) and have won five of their last six outings.

Catawba shot 41.4 percent from the floor, while limiting Tusculum to 24.1 percent shooting, including 2-for-22 (9.1%) from three-point territory.

Catawba's Chris Wooldridge (Norfolk, Va.) recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Antonio Houston (Charlotte, N.C.) added 14 markers in the victory.

Tusculum was paced by Lavanti Jeter's (Alexandria, Va.) season-best 20 points and eight rebounds, while shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 8-for-9 from the free throw line.

The Catawba Indians jumped out to a 25-16 advantage at the 2:51 mark of the opening period following a three-pointer by Monroe (Newport News, Va.). TC closed out the half with jumpers by Jeter and Corey Poindexter (Dublin, Va.) in a 20-second span as Catawba took a 25-20 advantage into the locker room.

In the second half, Catawba opened with a 10-0 run in the first 5:46 as the Pioneers missed their first eight shots of the half. The Catawba Indians would later use a 13-2 spurt to take its biggest lead of the game at 60-33 with 3:48 remaining. Tusculum responded with a 13 unanswered points to close out the game.

Serge Poppe (Charleroi, Belgium), Jimmy Boone (Greeneville, Tenn.) and Chris Poore (Greeneville, Tenn.) each accounted for seven points for the Pioneers.

- TC -