Saturday, December 16,

TUSCULUM MEN RALLY TO 65-61 WIN AT USC AIKEN, LEAR SCORES 27

AIKEN, S.C. --- Tusculum College’s Jordan Lear recorded a season-high 27points to lead the Pioneers to a 65-61 road win at USC Aiken Saturday afternoon at The Courthouse in men’s basketball action.

Tusculum improves 6-3 on the season while handing the Pacers (5-6) their first home loss of the season.

Lear shot 9-for-13 from the floor and poured in 20 points in the second half alone.  Lear also finished with six rebounds and shot 7-for-10 from the free throw line.  Chris Poore added 10 points, while Serge Poppe and Gabe Story contributed seven markers each.

The Pacers were led by the duo of Cory Broyles and Theo Oates who each posted a dozen points each in the loss.

The Tusculum defense forced 23 turnovers on the afternoon, resulting in 24 points by the Pioneers.

USC Aiken scored the first seven points of the contest and led 20-8 at the 8:25 mark of the first half following a three-pointer by Oates.

Tusculum answered with 12 straight points, including four free throws by Lear and buckets by Poppe and Story to tie the game at 20-20, before the Pacers carried a 26-22 advantage into the locker room.

In the second half, Tusculum opened with a 7-2 spurt and took its first lead of the game when Tyler White connected on a lay-up with 17:51 remaining in the game.  TC later went on a 10-3 run to take its biggest lead of the game with six minutes left on the clock, a lead it wouldn’t surrender for the remainder of the game.

Tusculum returns to action Tuesday night when it hosts in-state foe King College for a 7:30 p.m. contest at Pioneer Arena.  It will be the Pioneers’ contest prior to Christmas.

- TC -