Wednesday, December 12, 2007

 

TUSCULUM BEATS BOBCATS 69-61, JETER SCORES 22

 

Lavonti Jeter                BANNER ELK, N.C. --- Lavonti Jeter recorded a game-high 22 points to lead the Tusculum College men’s basketball team to a 69-61 come-from-behind victory over host Lees-McRae College, Wednesday night at Williams Gymnasium.

 

                Jeter shot 9-for-10 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line, while Jordan Lear added 18 points and a game-best eight rebounds.  Jimmy Boone contributed a dozen markers as the Pioneers (4-5) record their third win in TC’s last four contests.

 

                Tusculum rallied from a pair of nine-point deficits in the opening half and trailed 31-24 at halftime.  The Pioneers used an 11-4 to start the second period, tying the game at 35-35 with 16:46 remaining following a bucket by Lear.

 

                The Bobcats (2-6) would regain the advantage and went up 42-38 at the 14:18 mark.

 

                TC would respond with a 10-2 spurt to take its first lead since the opening half.  Jeter sparked the run with three straight lay-ups by Jeter, the last coming with 9:40 remaining.

 

                The Pioneers later capitalized on a 7-0 run, including a three-point play by Bryan Spriggs with 5:46 left on the clock.  TC moved out to its largest lead of the game at 63-50 with 1:28 remaining, but the contest was far from being out of reach.  With TC holding onto a 65-53 advantage with 1:05 left, the Bobcats scored eight straight points in 29 seconds to trim the deficit to 65-61 with 36.1 seconds remaining in the game.

 

                Tusculum made its free throws down the stretch, including four in row by Lear to seal the victory and its third straight win over the Bobcats.

 

                Raysean Hairston went 8-for-15 from the floor for his 19 points, while Modestas Riauka added 12 points, eight rebounds and shot 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

 

                Tusculum shot 49 percent from the floor, including 54 percent in the second half.  The Bobcats fired 39.6 percent from the field, while being out-rebounded 34-31 on the boards.

 

                Tusculum returns home next Wednesday as TC welcomes Anderson University for a 7 p.m. contest at Pioneer Arena.  It will be Tusculum’s first home game in over a month as the Pioneers wrap up their seven-game road trip, going 4-3 during that span.

 

- TC -