GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum Pioneers will travel to Harrogate, Tennessee on Wednesday night to face top-seeded Lincoln Memorial in a quarterfinal game of 2016 South Atlantic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. The game will tip-off at 7 p.m. from LMU's Tex Turner Arena.
The Pioneers (14-14) return to the SAC postseason for the first time in three years as the Black & Orange are the No. 8 seed after posting a 9-13 league worksheet.
The winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal match-up will advance to the SAC semifinal on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. against the winner of the Lenoir-Rhyne/Newberry game. The semifinal and final rounds will be played this weekend at Timmons Arena in Greenville, South Carolina on the campus of Furman University.
Tusculum enters the SAC Tournament as one of the hottest teams in the league of late as Coach Michael Jones' squad is riding a three-game winning streak and have won four of their last five contests. The Pioneers are fresh off Saturday's 96-89 double-overtime victory over 12th-ranked Queens. It was Tusculum's second win over a nationally-ranked opponent this season as TC defeated then-No. 7 King 99-94 in December.
The Railsplitters, who are currently ranked second in the country (NCAA II), are riding a 16-game winning streak entering Wednesday's contest and are in quest. LMU completed the first unbeaten SAC season in league history, going a perfect 22-0 and capturing the program's fourth SAC Championship.
Tusculum won the SAC Tournament in 2005, while LMU has won this tournament on two occasions (2011, 2014).
LMU has been Tusculum's opponent in the Pioneers' last four trips to the SAC postseason including this year. LMU eliminated Tusculum in the 2011 SAC semifinal in Hickory, North Carolina. The Railsplitters also eliminated TC in the SAC quarterfinal round in 2012 and 2013.
Tusculum will be looking to snap a 17-game losing streak to their in-state foes.
- TC -
2016 South Atlantic Conference Tournament
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 - Campus Sites
No. 8 Tusculum at No. 1 Lincoln Memorial, 7 p.m.
No. 7 Catawba at No. 2 Queens, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Newberry at No. 4 Lenoir-Rhyne, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Carson-Newman at No. 3 Wingate, 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 5, 2016 - Greenville, S.C.
Tusculum/Lincoln Memorial winner vs. Newberry/Lenoir-Rhyne
winner, 5:30 p.m.
Catawba/Queens winner vs. Carson-Newman/Wingate winner, 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 6, 2016 - Greenville, S.C.
Championship Game, 4 p.m.
