GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - Tusculum took advantage of a five-minute first half scoring drought to build a double-digit lead and went on to defeat Anderson, 85-58, in South Atlantic Conference action, Tuesday night at Pioneer Arena.
Anderson fell to 2-6 overall and 1-2 in the conference with its third consecutive loss, while Tusculum (5-2, 2-1 SAC), which returned all five starters from last season, won its third straight home game of the season, while earning its first win over the Trojans since the 2007-08 campaign.
The Trojans, who entered the contest with four players averaging
double figures over the last two games, saw junior guard Lex Davis
lead the way offensively by equaling his career-high with 12
points. Sophomore guard Maurice Howard added 11 points, including
eight in the decisive first half, while handing out three assists
and recording three steals. Howard, Tre' Fields and freshman
Randall Shaw shared team-high rebounding honors with four
apiece.
Tusculum senior guard Darius Carter led all players with 14 points,
with Preseason First-Team All-SAC selection Chase Mounce adding 13
points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Zach Davis tossed in 12 points
for the Pioneers, while Zach Hartle netted 10 points.
The game featured three ties and five lead changes in the first eight minutes of action, before Hartle connected on back-to-back jumpers, including a 3-pointer that gave the Pioneers a 17-12 lead with 11:19 left in the first half. With Tusculum holding a 21-15 lead, Fields drained one of his two 3-pointers on the night to pull AU within three midway through the frame, but the Trojans then went scoreless for nearly six minutes, enabling Tusculum to post 10 unanswered points and gradually build a 39-24 halftime cushion.
The Trojans' shooting woes continued into the second half, which saw Anderson connect on just 2-of-14 attempts from long range. The Trojans also suffered their largest rebounding deficit of the season, as Tusculum claimed a 49-30 advantage on the boards.
A pair of free throws from Davis pulled AU within 13 early in the second frame, but the Trojans would get no closer, with Tusculum taking a 31-point with more than six minutes left in the game.
The Trojans wrap up their two-game South Atlantic Conference
road swing by traveling to Newberry on Saturday. Tip-off versus the
Wolves is slated for 4 p.m.
