HARROGATE, Tenn. --- Brandon Armstrong scored 23 points to lead the third-ranked Lincoln Memorial University men's basketball team to an 80-66 win over Tusculum College Wednesday night at Tex Turner Arena in South Atlantic Conference action.
The Railsplitters (13-0, 3-0 SAC) remain one of nine NCAA Division II unbeaten teams in the nation, while handing the Pioneers (5-6, 2-1 SAC) their first league setback of the season.
LMU took advantage of 26 turnovers by the visitors, converting those miscues into 33 points. The Railsplitters also accounted for 14 offensive rebounds, resulting into 17 second-chance points for the defending league champions.
Tusculum shot a blistering 62.9 percent from the floor, including 11-of-16 in the second half (68.8%) against nation's top field goal percentage defensive team (33.7%). LMU fired 46.6 percent from the floor themselves, but took 23 more field goal attempts than the Pioneers (TC 22-for-35; LMU 27-for-58).
"Our problem is simple. There is no way, at any level, you can beat a team, if you give them 23 more shots than you take and that's our problem," said Tusculum head coach Michael Jones. "Between turnovers and offensive rebounds, we allowed them to take 23 more shots. We gave a very good team too many opportunities. And when you play a very good team like this, that is undefeated and third in the nation, you have to take advantage of every opportunity and when you all 23 more shots, you aren't doing that."
Kevin Vest led the Pioneers with 15 points, shooting 4-of-6 from the floor, including Tusculum's lone three-pointer of the night to extend TC's streak to a 780 consecutive games with a three-pointer. It was the only three-point attempt for the Pioneers on the night, which came with 2:30 remaining in the game.
Jordan Davidson added 14 points, while Larry Smith matched a career-high with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting to along with five rebounds. Justin Steigerwald was limited to three points, while tying Smith for team-high honors with five boards.
Armstrong was joined in double-figures by LMU teammates Jake Troyli (14), Vincent Bailey (12) and Cam Carden (11). SAC Player of the Year and 2011 All-American Desmond Johnson was held scoreless in his 10 minutes of action before fouling out.
LMU opened the game with an 11-4 run through the first five minutes, capped off by an Armstrong three-pointer. Tusculum followed with a 10-3 spurt to knot the game at 14-14 when Darius Carter buried a pair of free throws at the 11:28 mark of the half.
The Railsplitters scored seven unanswered points, sparked by a Wally Jones three-pointer as LMU would take a 40-30 lead at halftime.
Lincoln Memorial got a three-pointer by Armstrong and a Justin Allen jumper to vault to a 45-30 lead early in the second period. LMU would race out to a 20-point advantage at 70-50 with 5:44 remaining on a Bailey jumper.
Tusculum made a final push with a 12-2 run over a span of 3:14, which was finished off by Vest's three-point basket. But that would be as close as the Pioneers would get as Vincent ended the rally with a slam dunk.
LMU out-rebounded the Pioneers by a 26-24 margin, while also shooting 6-of-15 from three-point territory (40%). Both teams shot well from the free throw line as TC went 21-for-25 for 84 percent, while LMU fired 20-of-24 for 83.3 percent.
Tusculum returns to action this Saturday as the Pioneers host Wingate University for a 4 p.m. contest to begin a three-game home-stand at Pioneer Arena.
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