Monday, February 19, 2007

                    

TUSCULUM BASKETBALL SENIOR NIGHT WEDNESDAY

 

                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College basketball teams will be honoring its seniors this Wednesday night as TC hosts Mars Hill College for a South Atlantic Conference doubleheader at Pioneer Arena.  It will be the final regular season home game for eight Tusculum seniors.  The women's game begins at 6 p.m., followed by the men's game at 8 p.m.

 

                The women's team will recognize the senior duo of Chassity Martin and Brooke Underwood during ceremonies prior to the women's game.  The men's team will salute its six seniors after its regular-season finale contest with Mars Hill.  Seniors Larry Minnefee, Chris Poore, Serge Poppe, Gabe Story, Tyler White and Eric Williams will be honored in post-game ceremonies.

 

                Martin, a 5-7 guard from Salem, Va., will leave Tusculum as one of the program's all-time leading three-point shooters.  The 2005-06 All-SAC Second Team honoree is averaging 11.5 points per game this season, including 15.3 ppg in her last six contests.  Martin enters Wednesday's game needing just one point to become the 11th player in Tusculum recorded history to score 1,000 points in a career.  Martin has recorded 152 three-point fields at Tusculum, which are second all-time in school history and the eighth most in conference history.

 

                Underwood has emerged as one of the best point guards in the history of Tusculum women's basketball.  The 5-4 Knoxville, Tenn. native has dished out 548 career assists, including an amazing 443 over the past two seasons.  Her assist tally is the second most in school history and currently ranked fourth in the SAC record books.  Last year, she established a TC single-season record with 246 assists (8.8 apg).  Underwood led the entire nation in assists, all three NCAA divisions.  For her efforts, she was named to the All-Conference Second Team.

 

                On the men's side, Minnefee has saved his best Tusculum season for last.  The Valrico, Fla. guard is averaging 9.4 points per game this year, including 13.8 ppg in his last 11 outings.  Last month, he poured in a career-high 27 points, including seven 3-pointers in Tusculum's 81-73 road win at Carson-Newman College.

 

                Poore, a 2006-07 Preseason All-Conference pick, is Tusculum's top scorer and rebounder this season.  He is averaging 15.3 points per game (6th in SAC), while hauling in 5.8 rebounds per contest (10th in SAC).  The Greeneville, Tenn. native has accounted for 16.5 ppg in his last four games and has recorded over 1,400 points in his collegiate career, including 777 at Tusculum over the past two years.

 

                Poppe, will be competing in his 56th game at Tusculum on Wednesday.  The 6-7 forward from Charleori, Belgium is averaging 7.5 points per contest this season.  He is shooting 44.2 percent from the floor this season and 77.6 percent from the free throw stripe.

 

                Story, a 6-7 forward from Greeneville, Tenn., has developed into one of the best shot blockers in Tusculum history.  Story has blocked 51 shots in his 55 games as a Pioneer.  His blocked shot tally is fourth all-time at Tusculum.  In 2006-07, Story is averaging 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game (18th in SAC).  His 34 blocks this season are currently fourth in the league.

 

                White is also wrapping up his second season at Tusculum.  The Monroe, Mich. guard is fifth in the league this year dishing out almost four assists per game.  He currently leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.20).

 

                Williams, a 6-3 guard from Ann Arbor, Mich., is completing his first and only season as a player at Tusculum.  Williams was an assistant on TC coach Jim Boone's staff during the 2005-06 season.  This year, he has played in all 26 games, while gaining the starting nod on 18 occasions.  He is averaging 4.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 86.2 percent from the free throw line this season.

 

                This outstanding group of young people has also shined off the basketball court.  All eight have been very active in their Tusculum careers in numerous community service projects and activities, including the "Slam Dunk" Reading program, Adopt-a-Highway program, conducted Bible studies, volunteered tutoring services, served as counselors at youth sports camps, area youth mentoring and assisted needy families during the Christmas holidays.

 

                Following Wednesday's doubleheader, both Tusculum teams will be making is preparations for next week's Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Basketball Tournament.

 

- TC -