Saturday, March 8, 2008l

                    

TOP-SEED TUSCULUM ADVANCES TO SAC TOURNAMENT FINAL,
NO. 19 PIONEERS BEAT NEWBERRY 69-54

 

 Jasmine Gunn               HICKORY, N.C. --- Tusculum freshman Jasmine Gunn poured in 28 points, including 20 in the second half as the top-seeded Pioneers defeated No. 4 Newberry 69-54 in a semifinal game of the 2008 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament.  The game was played Saturday at the Catawba Valley Community College Multipurpose Complex.

 

                With the victory, Tusculum (26-3) advances to Sunday’s championship game against the winner of tonight’s Wingate/Carson-Newman contest.

 

                Gunn (Nashville, Tenn.), the SAC Freshman of the Year, shot 10-for-20 from the floor, while also recording seven rebounds, seven assists and a game-high eight steals as the Pioneers won their 11th consecutive game.

 

All-SAC senior forward Tonique Frasier (Walterboro, S.C.) had a solid outing in her collegiate finale for Newberry as she posted a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds.  Frasier shot 9-for-14 from the floor, while accounting for three assists and a team-high four steals.

 

                With the score tied 15-15 midway through the first half, the Pioneers went on a 12-2 spurt capped off by a three-pointer from two-time All-SAC junior Ashli Oliver (Kokomo, Ind.) as TC led 27-17 with four minutes left before halftime.

 

                But the Lady Indians, the two-time defending SAC Tournament Champions, closed out the period with an 11-2 spurt, thanks to a three-pointer by senior Ashley Marine (Peachtree City, Ga.) and a tip-in by junior Carnicha Bellinger (Greenville, S.C.) as Newberry trailed 29-28 at the intermission.

 

                In the second half, Tusculum utilized a 9-0 spurt in the opening moments of the period, as Gunn converted a pair of three-point plays and junior Nikki Van Dine (Columbus, Ohio) tallied a three-pointer as TC led 43-33 with 14:49 left.

 

                The Pioneers would take its largest lead of the afternoon at 57-39 at the midway point of the half, thanks to a 12-2 run, including another three-point play by Gunn and a three-pointer by Oliver.

 

                Newberry (19-10) would answer though with eight straight points over the next four minutes, including back-to-back baskets by Frasier as the Lady Indians trailed 57-47 with 6:11 remaining in the game.

 

                Tusculum would thwart the rally thanks to consecutive three-pointers by Gunn and Van Dine as TC moved out to a 65-49 lead en route to the victory.

 

                Van Dine finished with a dozen points, all on four 3-pointers, while Oliver added 11 markers on her three treys.  All-SAC sophomore forward Stephany Neptune (Wallkill, N.Y.) tallied two points and 11 rebounds in the win.

 

                Newberry senior Ashlee Wright (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) accounted for 10 points while junior Laura Marquardt (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.) and freshman Leanne Watson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) each finished with six points each for the Lady Indians.

 

                This will mark Tusculum’s second trip to the SAC Tournament final in the last three years.

 

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