GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Carson-Newman men's basketball team used a 9-0 run late in the game to pace the Eagles to a 67-56 South Atlantic Conference win at Tusculum Wednesday night at Pioneer Arena.

Antoine Davis posted 17 points, while Ishmael Sanders added 16 points as C-N improves to 9-2 overall and 2-1 in league play.

Tusculum rookie Keith Jumper led all players with 20 points and 11 rebounds as he shot 5-of-9 from the floor and 9-of-13 from the free throw line.

TC jumped out to an early 11-6 lead seven minutes into the contest, sparked by the first of four 3-pointers by senior Nick Spinks, who would finish with a career-best 17 points for the night.

With the Pioneers leading 16-11 with 9:05 left in the first half, the Eagles went on a 7-1 run over the next 5:36 to take an 18-17 lead on a Sanders' jumper.

TC (2-9, 0-3 SAC) would regain the lead at 22-20 on a Spinks' trey with 2:15 remaining in the period. But the Eagles closed out the half with a 5-0 run including the final four markers by Davis as Carson-Newman took a 25-22 lead into the locker room.

In the second half, Spinks trimmed the C-N lead to one with his opening bucket, but the visitors responded with an 11-5 spark, capped off by a Cody Henegar three-pointer, the first trey of the night for the Eagles, to lead 35-29 with 16:10 left in the contest.

Another three-pointer by Spinks pulled the Pioneers to within four (38-34) at the 14:34 mark. A layup by Jared Johnson and a Carson Brooks' dunk moved C-N ahead, 42-34. TC's Jumper answered with a one-hand jam on the ensuing possession, which was followed by a Sanders' layup as the Eagles led once again by eight at 44-36.

TC freshman Chase Ward-McEwen knocked down a jumper, but Henegar answered with a three-pointer as the Eagles led by its largest margin of the game to that point at 47-38 with 12:10 remaining.

The Eagles moved their lead to double-digits for the first time of the evening at 51-40 on a Davis basket with nine minutes left. The Pioneers answered with a furious 11-2 run over the next 4:55 sparked by seven points by Jumper (3-pointer and 4 free throws) and a buckets by Darius Carter and Neal Spinks as TC cut the deficit to 53-51 with 4:03 remaining.

Following a media timeout, the Eagles scored nine straight points, including a pair of baskets by Collin Crane and a five points by Sanders, including his three-point play with 1:30 remaining to move C-N back out to an 11-point cushion.

Jumper would add a three-point play 12 seconds later to pull within eight (62-54), but that would be as close as the Pioneers would get.

Nick Spinks finished his career night shooting 6-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-6 from beyond the arc as he played in all but 32 seconds of the contest. Carter added five points, while rookie Devin Call accounted for six rebounds for the Pioneers.

Defensively, Tusculum held one of the top three-point shooting teams in the country to three treys on the night, more than six below their average (9.4). Carson-Newman shot 48.2 percent from the floor, including 17-of-31 (54.8%) in the second half. C-N won the rebound battle by 38-28 margin, including 11-5 on the offensive boards.

TC finished the evening shooting 40.4 percent from the field, including 13-of-27 in the final 20 minutes (48.1%).

Both teams were dismal at the charity stripe as both teams were below 60 percent on the night (TC - 59.1%, C-N - 58.8%).

Tusculum returns to action this Saturday as the Pioneers travel to Catawba for a 4 p.m. contest. Carson-Newman will host Newberry for a 4 p.m. league tilt in Jefferson City.

- TC -