Wednesday, February 6, 2008

 

SHANK SHINES, TUSCULUM WOMEN WIN AT LMU

 

Shantae Shank                HARROGATE, Tenn. --- Shantae Shank recorded a career-best 24 points to lead the Tusculum College women’s basketball team to an 82-67 South Atlantic Conference road win at Lincoln Memorial University Wednesday night at Tex Turner Arena.  The Pioneers (18-3, 8-1 SAC) sweep the season series against LMU (10-10, 2-7 SAC) as Tusculum remains tied for first place in the league.

 

                Shank shot 8-for-12 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line, while Ashli Oliver added 20 points, including five 3-pointers.  Jasmine Gunn finished with 13 points while Stephany Neptune accounted for a dozen markers, six rebounds and six assists.

 

                LMU’s Heather Benton tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Andi Winney and Kara Harris finished with 15 and 13 points, respectively.

 

                The Lady Railsplitters scored the first five points of the game, but Tusculum responded with a 12-0 run, capped off by a three-pointer Oliver at the 13:41 mark of the first half.  TC took its biggest lead of the opening period at 32-20 with 2:50 left before the break following a jumper by Neptune.  But LMU closed out the half with an 11-4 spurt, including the final five points as TC led 36-31 at the intermission.

 

                In the second half, LMU stayed with the Pioneers and trimmed the deficit to three (50-47) following a three-point play by Benton.  Tusculum responded with a 16-5 run over the next 5:34 as the Pioneers increased their advantage to 66-52 with 7:27 remaining in the game.

 

                LMU made another push to cut the TC lead to single digits at 66-57, but the Pioneers put the game away with a 12-2 spurt, capped off by Gunn’s three-point play with 4:22 left as Tusculum held its largest advantage at 78-59.

 

                TC shot 48 percent from the floor, including 16-of-28 (58%) in the second half.  The Pioneers also shot 53 percent from three-point territory, while also shooting 14-of-16 from the charity stripe (88%).

 

                Tusculum will travel to Catawba College on Saturday for a 2 p.m. league contest in Salisbury, N.C.

 

- TC -