GREENEVILLE, Tenn. - Second-half field goal accuracy lifted Anderson to a 58-51 South Atlantic Conference women's basketball win past Tusculum Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.
Anderson (10-13, 7-8 SAC) shot 56.5 percent from the field in the final stanza to win its third game in the last four outings, while avenging an earlier setback to the Pioneers. Tusculum (15-8, 9-6 SAC) suffered its third consecutive setback.
The three previous meetings between the two teams had been decided by a total of just four points and this contest proved to be nearly as close, featuring seven ties and nine lead changes.
The Pioneers pushed out to their largest lead of the contest, at 16-9, with 11:48 left in the first half, but the Trojans chipped away with a 7-2 run to knot the score at 21 apiece with exactly two minutes on the clock. Junior forward Tilde Ahlin's second 3-pointer of the half evened the contest, but a jumper by Tusculum's Alishia Mosley gave the Pioneers a 23-21 edge at the break.
The opening six minutes of the second half saw six lead changes, but the Trojans reeled off seven unanswered points as part of a 13-3 outburst over an eight-minute span, with AU turning a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead with just less than six minutes on the clock.
Junior guard Amanda Parris sparked the rally with a driving layup and freshman Lauren Woods' 3-pointer gave Anderson a lead it would not relinquish with 12:03 left. Ahlin capped the surge with a pair of close jumpers as AU claimed its largest lead, 48-41, with 5:42 remaining.
The Trojans converted just enough free throws (3-of-5) inside the final minute to hold off the Pioneers.
Ahlin equaled her career high with a team-best 16 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Parris netted 11 points. Freshman Sierra Simpson handed out a game-high six assists and swiped four steals.
TC's Mosley scored a game-high 18 points, with senior Staci Hicks adding nine points and 10 rebounds.
Anderson wraps up its regular-season road slate by traveling to Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, with tip-off versus the Lady Railsplitters set for 6 p.m.
