Wednesday, February 20, 2008

 

TUSCULUM GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE IN 71-63 WIN OVER NEWBERRY

 

Kyle Moore                GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Kyle Moore scored 26 points, including five 3-pointers as the Tusculum College men’s basketball team led wire-to-wire to defeat Newberry College 71-63 Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.  The Pioneers (11-14, 5-8 SAC) avenge an earlier season loss to the Indians (11-13, 4-8), while winning its third game in their last four outings.

 

                Seniors Lavonti Jeter and Jordan Lear accounted for 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Ryan Troutman added three points and a game-high eight rebounds in the victory.

 

                Newberry’s Clemente Martin paced the visitors with 17 markers, while Stephane Bakinde accounted for 16 points and eight rebounds.

 

                Tusculum scored the first 14 points of the contest, while Newberry didn’t record a point until the 12:49 mark of the first half when Matt Alexander made one of two free throws.  The Indians’ first field goal came with 11:53 remaining in the period as Ty Overmyer scored on a lay-up to trim the TC lead to 17-3.

 

                Newberry battled back and would cut the deficit to six points (26-20) on Bakinde’s three-pointer with 15 seconds left before halftime.  Moore answered for the Pioneers as he canned a 25-footer, falling into the Newberry bench with four ticks left as Tusculum carried a 29-20 lead into the intermission.

 

                In the second half, TC would increase its advantage to 18 (52-34) on Jeter’s lay-up with 10 minutes left in the game.

 

                But the Indians wouldn’t go away.  Following a three-point play by Troutman to give Tusculum a 62-48 lead with 3:50 left, Newberry went on an 11-2 spurt and cut the deficit to 64-59 with 1:37 remaining, capped off by a three-point play by Bakinde.  After a Tusculum turnover, Newberry had a chance to cut into the deficit, but two blocked shots by Jeter and a steal by Troutman down the stretch kept TC with the advantage.

 

                Moore added a pair of free throws to move Tusculum out to a 66-59 lead with 40 seconds left.  But the Indians had one final push left.  Martin canned a running jumper in the paint and came up with a steal and found an open Alexander for the lay-up as Newberry trailed by its closest margin at 66-63. With 27 second left on the clock.

 

                Tusculum’s Jimmy Boone made three of four throws in the final 30 seconds and came up with a key defensive rebound as the Pioneers recorded the victory.

 

                Tusculum shot 51 percent from the floor, including 13-of-22 in the second half (59.1%).

 

                Moore shot 7-for-14 from the field, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, while also going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

 

                Tusculum returns to action Saturday night when they host Brevard College for a non-conference match-up beginning at 8 p.m. at Pioneer Arena.  Newberry will host Wingate University on Saturday at 4 p.m. from Eleazer Arena.

 

- TC -