ROCK HILL, S.C. --- The Tusculum College men's basketball team will be the No. 5 seed in the 2011 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Tournament and will travel to Newberry College to face the fourth-seeded Wolves in a quarterfinal round contest. Game is set to tip-off at 8 p.m. from Eleazer Arena in Newberry, S.C.

The Pioneers (11-17), along with Newberry, Brevard College, Catawba College and Carson-Newman College, finished in a five-way tie for fourth place in the league with 8-10 conference records. It was the first five-way tie in league history.

In the head to head comparison between Brevard, Carson-Newman, Catawba, Newberry and Tusculum, both Newberry and Tusculum were 5-3, Catawba was 4-4 and Brevard and C-N were both 3-5. Newberry and Tusculum were 1-1 head to head and both were 0-2 against Lincoln Memorial University. Newberry was 1-1 against Anderson University, while Tusculum was 0-2 against the Trojans, so Newberry (13-13) earned the fourth seed.

In the head-to-head comparison between Brevard, Carson-Newman, Catawba and Tusculum, Tusculum was 4-2, Catawba and Brevard were 3-3 and C-N was 2-4, so the Pioneers are the fifth seed.

The Pioneers and the Wolves split the season series, with Tusculum winning 80-73 at Newberry in December in the SAC opener, while Newberry winning 71-66 in Greeneville earlier this month.

Lincoln Memorial is the top seed as the Railsplitters won their first SAC men's basketball title. They will face eighth-seed Carson-Newman (11-15) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. LMU swept the regular-season series against the Eagles, winning 90-69 on the road and 83-78 at home.

Anderson (18-10, 12-6 SAC) is the second seed and will face seventh-seed Catawba (12-14) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The two teams split during the regular season, with Anderson winning 81-56 at home, and Catawba winning 75-69 at home.
The Trojans tied for second in the regular-season standings with Wingate University. Anderson swept Wingate in their two meetings to earn the second seed.

Wingate (17-9) is the third seed and will face sixth-seed Brevard (13-13). Brevard is the defending men's tournament champion. Wingate swept the season series, taking a 65-49 victory at home and wrapping up the regular season with an 87-77 victory on the road Saturday, forcing a rematch on Wednesday.

This will mark only the second time Tusculum and Newberry have squared off in the SAC Tournament. The two programs met in the semifinal round of the 2009 tournament as the Pioneers posted an impressive 79-61 win over Newberry, en route to TC's run to the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Quarterfinal winners advance to the semifinals, which will be held at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, N.C. on Saturday, March 5. The men's semifinals will be at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Lincoln Memorial vs. Carson-Newman winner will face the Newberry vs. Tusculum winner at 5:30 p.m. The Anderson vs. Catawba winner will face the Wingate vs. Brevard winner at 8 p.m.

The championship game is on Sunday, March 6 at 4 p.m. The winner of the tournament will earn the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

- SAC -

Wednesday, March 2
Food Lion SAC Tournament, Quarterfinals, Home of Higher Seed
No. 8 Carson-Newman at No. 1 Lincoln Memorial, 7 pm
No. 7 Catawba at No. 2 Anderson, 7 pm
No. 6 Brevard at No. 3 Wingate, 8 pm
No. 5 Tusculum at No. 4 Newberry, 8 pm

Saturday, March 5
Food Lion SAC Tournament, Semifinals, CVCC Arena, Hickory, NC
Carson-Newman/Lincoln Memorial winner vs. Tusculum/Newberry winner, 5:30 p.m.
Catawba/Anderson winner vs. Brevard/Wingate winner, 8 pm

Sunday, March 6
Food Lion SAC Tournament Championship, CVCC Arena, Hickory, NC
Semifinal winners, 4 pm