Thursday, December 13, 2007

 

TUSCULUM WOMEN USE STRONG SECOND HALF RUN FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT WIN,
PIONEERS BEAT KING 75-68

 

Jasmine Gunn                BRISTOL, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College women's basketball team recorded its fifth consecutive victory by defeating host King College, 75-68 Thursday afternoon at the King Student Center.  The win for the Pioneers (8-2) was their second over the Tornado (4-7) in the past week.

 

                Rookie Jasmine Gunn led TC with a season-best 19 points and four assists, while sophomore Stephany Neptune added 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.  It was Neptune's second straight double-double and sixth of the season.

 

                Tiffany Daniel paced four King players in double-digits with her 20 points, including a dozen markers in the opening seven minutes of the contest.  Beth Raby added 14 points, while Kayla Olson and Amanda Holmes posted 13 and 11 points, respectively.

 

                Tusculum rallied from an eight-point first half deficit and used a 21-1 run in the second period, including 17 unanswered points in a span of six minutes for the win.

 

                KC went on a 13-4 run in the opening period to take its largest lead at 18-10 at the 12:44 mark.  Daniel sparked the run with nine points, including a pair of three-point buckets and converted a three-point play.

 

                The Pioneers sunk into early foul trouble as four players picked up two fouls each, including Neptune who was benched for the final eight minutes of the half.  Tusculum battled and would eventually tie the game with a pair of free throws from freshman Brittni Oliver at the 3:10 mark and took the lead at 31-29 a minute later on an Oliver rebound and basket.

 

                Olson answered with a jumper and Holmes posted a pair of free throws as the Tornado led 35-33 at the intermission.

 

                In the second period, King opened with an 8-3 spurt to move out 43-36 as Olson drained a long-range three-pointer.

 

                TC made its biggest push of the game over the next 6:08 as the Pioneers scored 17 straight points, shooting 7-for-13 from the floor and moved up 53-43 with 12:02 left in the game.  Freshman Jasmine Parker capped the 17-0 run with her three-point play.  Tusculum used pressure defense for the rally as the Pioneers forced six turnovers and limited the Tornado to 0-for-5 shooting during the run.

 

                TC gained its largest lead of the game at 57-44 with 10:45 left on the clock after a 17-foot jumper by Neptune.

 

                King responded with seven straight points, including five from Olson to cut the deficit to 57-51 with 8:40 on the scoreboard.

 

                Tusculum answered with a 5-0 spurt to move out again by 11 following a driving lay-up from Shantae Shank as she added two of her 15 points on the day.

 

                With TC leading by 11 (69-58) with four minutes left in the game, King made one final run as it went on a 10-2 rally and trimmed the Pioneer lead to 71-68 with 1:10 remaining after a rebound and bucket by Wilson.

 

                But that's as close as the Tornado would get as TC made four of its final six free throws and shutout the home team for the remainder of the game.

 

                Tusculum out-rebounded the Tornado by a 41-36 margin, including 21-10 on the offensive glass.  TC capitalized as it posted 21 second-chance points. 

 

                Neptune led the charge with eight offensive rebounds as she followed her career-best 18-board performance at Southern Indiana on Sunday with 17 rebounds in Thursday's win.  She shot 5-for-10 from the floor, while adding three blocked shots and a pair of steals.

 

                Tusculum forced 22 turnovers on the afternoon, thanks to a dozen steals, converting those miscues into 24 points.

 

                The Pioneers have concluded its pre-Holiday slate and won't hit the hardwood again until Dec. 29 when TC travels to Virginia State for an important in-region contest.

 

- TC -