Saturday, February 16, 2008

 

TUSCULUM WOMEN WIN 69-51 AT CARSON-NEWMAN

                      

Jasimine Gunn                JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. --- Freshman guard Jasmine Gunn scored 18 points, while sophomore Stephany Neptune tallied a double-dozen as the Tusculum College women’s basketball team defeated host Carson-Newman College, 69-51 Saturday night at Holt Fieldhouse.  

 

Tusculum (21-3, 11-1 in South Atlantic Conference) sweeps the season series against the Lady Eagles for the first time as a NCAA Division II member while ending a drought in Jefferson City, spanning over 15 years.

 

                Gunn scored 15 of her 18 points in the second half as she fired 7-for-10 from the floor on the night, including a perfect 3-for-3 from three-point territory.  Neptune posted her 14th double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while also accounting for four steals.  Junior Shantae Shank added 12 points, three assists, two blocks and three steal in the victory.

 

                Carson-Newman’s Emily Mason led the Lady Eagles (12-11, 6-5 SAC) with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Shari Buford accounted for a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.  Buford also blocked a game-best four shots in the loss.

 

                Leading 28-23 at halftime, Tusculum scored the first seven points of the second half including back-to-back steals and lay-ups by Shank and a three-pointer by junior Ashli Oliver as the Pioneers moved out to a 35-23 advantage with 18:28 remaining.

 

                Carson-Newman later trimmed the deficit to nine (45-36) thanks to a three-pointer by Angela Volentine and two free throws by Tykira McDaniel with 13:11 left on the clock.

 

                Tusculum answered with a 14-6 spurt over the next six minutes, capped off by a Gunn jumper as TC led 59-42 at the 4:52 mark.  C-N would cut the TC lead to 59-46, but that would be as close as the Lady Eagles would get.

 

                Tusculum forced 24 turnovers, converting the C-N miscues into 32 points.  TC shot 47.5 percent in the game, including 18-for-32 (56.3 percent) in the second half, while Carson-Newman shot 40.4 percent in the contest, including 36 percent in the final 20 minutes.

 

                Tusculum will host Newberry College on Wednesday at Pioneer Arena beginning at 6 p.m.

 

- TC -