Saturday, January 19, 2008

TUSCULUM WOMEN DEFEATS CARSON-NEWMAN 79-74 FOR 11^TH STRAIGHT WIN

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Freshman Jasmine Gunn poured in 23 points as the Tusculum College women’s basketball team led wire-to-wire in defeating in-state rival Carson-Newman College, 79-74 Saturday afternoon at Pioneer Arena. The Pioneers (14-2, 4-0 SAC) have won their last 11 games and are off to their best league start since joining the South Atlantic Conference in 1999.

Tusculum led by 17 at halftime (44-27) and by as many as 19 in the second period (46-27), but had to hold off a furious rally by the Lady Eagles (8-8, 3-2 SAC).

TC’s Shantae Shank tallied 16 points and four steals, Stephany Neptune recorded her SAC-best ninth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Kat Spears accounted for 10 points off the bench in the win.

C-N’s Emily Mason added 21 points, including 16 in the final period, while Shari Buford and Tashea Ledbetter finished with 15 and 12 points, respectively for the Lady Eagles.

TC jumped out of the gate with seven straight points and finished off the period with a 15-6 run, capped off by a lay-up by Jasmine Parker in the final seconds as TC led by 17. Tusculum shot 54 percent in the first half while forcing 11 C-N turnovers and converting those miscues into 19 first half points.

In the second half, the Pioneers took its biggest lead of the day at 50-31 following another lay-up by Parker with 17:30 left in the game. C-N chipped away at the deficit and cut the TC lead to single digits at 62-53 after a lay-up by Ashley Kyle with 8:53 left. Carson-Newman cut the TC advantage to five (62-57) after a Buford lay-up. TC answered and moved its lead back to double-digits at 71-61 following a three-point play by Spears with five minutes remaining.

Carson-Newman made one final push as it went on an 11-3 run over the next four minutes as Buford made one of two free throws with 57 seconds remaining as TC led 74-72. But the play of the game came on the ensuing possession as Gunn made an acrobatic, driving lay-up and was fouled with 31 seconds left. Gunn completed the three-point play to give TC a five-point lead (77-72). C-N’s Ashley Tipton missed a three-point shot on the Lady Eagles’ next trip of the floor and TC came up with the rebound. Gunn finished with a pair of free throws to seal the victory.

Tipton, who entered the game as the nation’s top three-point shooter, was held to 0-for-4 shooting beyond the arc and four points. Tipton led C-N with a team-best six assists and went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe.

Gunn shot 7-for-14 from the floor and 9-for-11 from the free throw line.

The Pioneers will travel to Newberry College on Wednesday in a rematch of last year’s Food Lion SAC Tournament semifinal. C-N will also be on the road Wednesday as the Lady Eagles face Brevard College in a non-conference tilt.

- TC -